Senators reject increased NAPC budget over unclear anti-poverty plans

Senators on Monday thumbed down the National Anti-Poverty Commission's bid to increase its budget because of unclear plans to curb poverty in the country.

During the Senate Finance Committee's second hearing on the Department of Social Welfare and Development's 2022 proposed budget, NAPC lead convenor Noel Felongco said they needed a budget hike for the national poverty reduction plan.

"We have such adjustments because the IRR (implementing rules and regulations) of the Magna Carta of the Poor was already approved. And today it was already published. And [based on the IRR, the] NAPC was mandated to craft National Poverty Reduction Plan within 100 days. In crafting we need an increase in the budget of NAPC," Felongco told senators.

Senator Imee Marcos, however, said they could not yet grant Felongco's request.

"Huwag muna natin pag-usapan ang increase kasi hindi pa ninyo napatunayan na epektibo ang programa ninyo. Samantala ang accomplishment hindi pa maliwanag. Maraming sektor na basic na nagrereklamo," Marcos said.

(Let's not talk about the increase because you have yet to prove your program works. The accomplishments are unclear. A lot of basic sectors are complaining.)

Echoing Marcos, Senator Nancy Binay raised concerns over the lack of NAPC plans to alleviate poverty.

"Walang plano to alleviate poverty. Hindi naman tayo starting scratch pagdating sa poverty alleviation plan, so I would assume na hindi need ang additional budget, parang iti-tweak mo lang nang kaunti," she said.

(There are no plans to alleviate poverty. We are not starting from scratch here so I would assume that an additional budget is not needed, you just have to tweak the plans.)

Felongco said he "acknowledged the sentiments of senators" but noted that they needed the budget as it would help them coordinate with local government units and consult with civil society organizations for the anti-poverty plans.

"There is a need, not really a big budget, but we need to go to LGUs, we make consultations with the CSOs (civil society organization) to lay the poverty plans out. Mayroon na po niyan bawat departments may plano na po niyan (We have plans, each department has plans.)," said Felongco.

Marcos immediately rejected the request, adding that the NAPC had no action plans.

"Sa akin, (For me,) if you plan it, the money will come. Ang problema sa inyo, wala kayong maayos na plano. Yung action plan, walang monitoring, evaluation, results based management. Wala kaming nakikitang ganun, kaya walang gana na dagdagan ang budget," she said.

(The problem is there is no clear plan, monitoring, and results-based management. We don't see these so there will be no added budget.)

In response, Felongco said they respected the senators' sentiments, adding that the anti-poverty commission would prove to legislators that they had accomplishments in curbing poverty.

The NAPC was earlier referring to the Magna Carta of the Poor law, which was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2019 to ensure that the poor were provided government services and to encourage the private sector to invest in poverty alleviation programs. — DVM, GMA News