Cartoon By: Aaron Paul C. Caril
EDITORIAL
Ayuda serye: Social welfare or political patronage?
The significant increase in the national budget for social services in 2024 raises questions about its potential misuse for political gain, urging citizens to remain vigilant.
The national budget allocated for social services in 2024 is P112 billion more than the previous year’s budget, giving the government a total of P2.116 trillion for distribution in the form of ayuda a year before the 2025 midterm elections.
This year’s budget for social protection services includes P106.3 billion for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, a flagship poverty alleviation program that provides cash grants to the poorest of the poor, P49.8 billion for the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens, P26.7 billion for the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program, and P7.6 billion for the Sustainable Livelihood Program, among others. The substantial increase is due to the new cash transfers and other forms of subsidies in the 2024 national budget.
In a December 2023 article in the Philippine News Agency, House Speaker Martin Romualdez announced that “the subsidy program is our strong response to President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.’s call to the House of Representatives to devise a means to bring down the price of rice for disadvantaged Filipino families in difficult situations.” This announcement set the stage for a significant increase in the social welfare budget, which will benefit seven million families across legislative districts in the country, or roughly 28 million people. (Https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1216013)
The distribution of ayuda became one of the trending issues during the 2022 elections. Under Comelec Resolution No. 10747, candidates and their family members within the second civil degree of affinity or consanguinity are strictly prohibited from participating directly or indirectly in the distribution of cash, goods, or merchandise for scholarships, assistance for burial, health care, calamity, and other similar programs.
As reported by the Inquirer, Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. executive Rose Nono Lin and 16 others were accused of ‘massive vote-buying operations’ in Novaliches, part of Quezon City’s fifth district where Lin is running for representative. The complainants alleged that they documented 237 instances of vote-buying where voters were given P500 cash each under the guise of ayuda or ‘scholarship.’
Politicians are aware that the prohibition only applies during the campaign period, the eve of the elections, and election day. For the 2025 elections, the campaign period is from February 11 to May 10. Hence, the best time to splurge on ayuda is this year, 2024.
The government’s social protection services have been mired in controversies. Reports of inefficiencies, favoritism, and alleged corruption have surfaced, highlighting the need for transparency and fairness in aid distribution.
On his Facebook page, former Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol disclosed that the reality is that the dole-outs—Tupad, AKAP, MAICS, AICS, and others—are controlled by political leaders who determine who should receive and who should not.
While the government has the duty to provide social protection services to those in need, the current system, where the identification of beneficiaries and distribution is under the control or influence of political leaders, makes the ayuda a tool for political patronage and corruption. This underscores the urgent need for reform and accountability in social welfare programs.