Makabayan bloc seeks P40B budget for poor Pinoys

(INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

MANILA, Philippines — Makabayan lawmakers are pushing for a P40-billion funding for the Department of Social Work and Development’s Social Amelioration Program so it can give cash aid directly to poor Filipinos.

They proposed a P2,000 cash aid each for 20 million poor Filipinos, or a maximum of P10,000 each for 3.5 million poor families identified by the Philippine Statistics Authority in 2021.

This was contained in House Joint Resolution No. 9 filed by the three-member bloc on Thursday.

The measure noted that the proposed 2023 national budget “does not include direct cash assistance to poor Filipinos still affected by the pandemic and the economic crisis.”

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