DSWD's 4Ps not easing unemployment despite billions in funds —Lacson

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Monday questioned the "steady'" unemployment rate in the country even with the implementation of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

In the second Senate finance panel hearing for DSWD 2022 proposed budget, Lacson said funds of 4Ps continue to increase even before the pandemic but still has no long-term effect on unemployment.

The program's budget in 2016 was at P62.6 billion then increased to P78 billion in 2017 and further went up to P108 billion in 2020, Lacson said.

He said there must be beneficiaries graduating from the program, which gives health and education grants, but it still has no effect on the unemployment figures in the country.

"Nung 2016, 2.363 million yung ating unemployed. Nung 2017, 2.441 million, 2018 2.3 million—bumaba. Tapos 2019, 2.3 million tumaas ito noong 2020," Lacson said.

(In 2016,  2.363 million were unemployed. In 2017, it was 2.441 million, 2018, it was 2.3 million then in 2019 2.3 million and went up to 2020.)

"Now kung ating ija-juxtapose doon sa unemployment rate ng ating bansa doon sa binibigyan natin ng ayuda, parang hindi nagrereconcile and I want to be educated bakit ganito, parang hindi sila tumutugma yung mga figures," he further said.

(If we juxtapose it to unemployment rate and those beneficiaries, it isn't being reconciled, and I want to be educated about it. It is like it doesn't add up to the figures.)

"Kung steady ang unemployment rate natin, bakit halos dumoble na yung ating budget para sa 4Ps? Kindly educate us," he added.

(Why is the budget being doubled if our unemployment rate is steady. Please educate us.)

If beneficiaries are already graduating from school, they should be able to help out their families and be removed from the 4Ps list, Lacson further pointed out.

DSWD Director Gemma Gabuya explained that they maintain their target beneficiaries, which is 4.4 million until 2022.

She further explained to Lacson that they replace and add more beneficiaries as long as they are included in the latest government figures for poor households.

"Kasi may talagang ang ating targeted na beneficiaries is talagang minemaintain natin yung 4.4 million na hanggang 2022 in case pag may umaalis, meron tayong replacements na additional beneficiaries as long as nandoon pa po sila sa listahanan nung 2015 na listahan, the latest listahan we had," Gabuya said.

(We maintain 4.4 million beneficiaries until 2022 in case someone graduates from the list, we have replacements and additional beneficiaries as long as they are part of the 2015 government list.)

"So meron pong replacement na bagong registered sa 4Ps kaya yung budget, nakalaan yon sa targeted numbers of 4Ps beneficiaries," she added.

(We have replacements for newly-registered 4Ps of the budget, and it is allotted for targeted numbers of 4Ps beneficiaries.)

Recalibrate feeding program

Meanwhile, Lacson was also puzzled by the DSWD's supplementary feeding program and its lack of impact to address malnutrition among Filipino children.

According to DSWD, the beneficiaries of its feeding program, which is providing meals for children aged 2 to 4 years old, are about 1.7 million to 1.8 million every year.

But Lacson said there must be a need to recalibrate the feeding program, citing a UNICEF study that 1 out of 3 Filipino children are stunted, which means they are short for their age or too thin for their height.

"Kasi ang observation ng Unicef dito poor diet, inadequate nutrition and food systems that are failing them, meaning nagfefail ang programa sa mga infants.... Baka puwede magrecalibrate ang programa. Tignan natin kung major final output naaddress o kaya narerealize natin?" the senator asked.

(UNICEF found that there is poor diet, inadequate nutrition, and food systems are failing them meaning infants' program is failing. Maybe we can recalibrate this program. We must see the major final output. Are we addressing the problem? Are we realizing something?)

Citing no records yet, DSWD Assistant Regional Director Wilma Naviamos said they have performance indicators in their program to determine the health of the children whom they are feeding.

Meanwhile, DSWD Assistant Secretary Glenda Relova said they welcome Lacson's sentiments, adding that the feeding program should start from one-year-old infants.

"We recognize po Mr. Senator on your suggestion yung remodifying yung programs specifically on supplementary feeding programs because according to the longitudinal cohorts study,  stunting happens on the first year," said Relova.

"So 'pag napick up na po ng DSWD sa 2 years old na yung bata nangyari na yung worst damage so dapat po from the womb hanggang isang taon may binibigay na supplement, we recognize that but that is beyond the mandate of DSWD kasi kami 2 to 4 years old lang po," she added.

(So if the DSWD picks up the child, the worst damage has already happened from the womb so we recognize that but that is beyond DSWD's mandate since we only serve 2 to 4 years old.)—LDF, GMA News