Malacanang happy over success of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program
Malacanang expressed elation over the success of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the government which aims to provide financial assistance to the underprivileged Filipinos, especially in the far-flung areas of the country, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
In an interview over government-run radio station dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Sunday, Presidential Deputy Spokesperson Abigail Valte said that the DSWD has been successful in meeting its target to help at least one million Filipino people through its conditional cash transfer (CCT) program.
“We are very glad that the DSWD has achieved its goal of reaching out to one million beneficiaries for 2010 under their 4Ps program also known as the conditional cash transfer program”, Valte said.
Valte noted that Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman has been conducting sorties in several areas of the country to achieve the CCT coverage of 2.3 million Filipinos next year.
The CCT is part of the government’s efforts to meet the targets set forth in the Millennium Development Goals before the year 2015.
The 4Ps is a social assistance and social development program of the government aimed at breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty by providing families with cash grants to improve their health and education needs. (PCOO)
Aquino to sign 2011 budget on Monday
Aside from the spirit of sharing, Filipinos have another reason to celebrate this yuletide season as President Benigno Simeon Aquino III is set to sign the P1.645-trillion national budget for the next fiscal year, 2011.
In an interview over government-run radio station dzRB Radyo ng Bayan Sunday, Presidential Deputy Spokesperson Abigail Valte said government projects, that are in line for the coming year, are already assured of their respective budget allotments after President Aquino’s signing of the national budget at the Rizal Hall in Malacañang on Monday.
Valte said that it is the first time in over a decade that the budget will be signed before the start of the actual fiscal year.
“We are very happy that the national budget will be signed earlier than before. This will be very beneficial for our people. As early as January, funds will already be available for the projects in line next year,” Valte stressed.
“With the early signing of the budget, our infrastructure projects like repair of roads and bridges can be done in January when the weather is more conducive for construction”, she said.
According to Valte, the early signing of the budget shows the full trust and confidence of Congress on the leadership of the President and his administration.
She also said that as part of the President’s efforts to upgrade the government’s basic services to the people, he has allocated the necessary funding for key agencies that will directly implement developmental projects of government.
These agencies include the Department of Justice (DoJ) for the speedy resolution of cases and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for a more efficient collection of taxes, among others.
The P1.645-trillion budget for next year is 6.8 per cent higher from the P1.54-trillion national budget for 2010.
The budget was approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives on December 13 and 14, respectively.
The budget includes an additional allocation of P300 to P400 million to the Senate and another P50 million to the House, restoring their respective budgets in the 2010 General Appropriations Act (GAA). These were earlier slashed by the President as part of belt-tightening measures. It likewise includes P200-million priority additional funds for the Office of the Vice President (OVP), which was earlier cut from P195-million to P177 million.
The education sector had the biggest budget increase of P750 million to enable the hiring of 5,000 new teachers. (PCOO)
