Palace open to inquiry on Conditional Cash
Transfer, official says
Malacañang is open to any congressional probe on
the effectiveness of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program, Presidential
Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said on Monday.
Secretary Lacierda was commenting on reports
that Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. is seeking for a review of the
CCT program to see if it has helped poverty alleviation efforts.
Lacierda said the CCT program provides a bridge
between that stage when the poorest of the poor have nothing and the time when
they find employment.
“Kaya pumapasok ang gobyerno, kaya tinatawag
itong intervention, pumapasok ang pamahalaan para hanapin sila at bigyan sila
ng kapasidad umangat sa kanilang stage level ngayon,” he said.
He explained that the “poorest of the poor” are
identified through a National Household Targeting Survey.
“May survey na ginagawa, ina-identify natin sa
bawat rehiyon kung sino ang dapat sumali diyan. May mga qualifications ito,” he
said, noting that choosing the CCT beneficiaries is not based on
recommendations.
He said the government provides them livelihood.
“For instance, we give them 10,000 pesos to
start a business. No interest, no collateral, and payable in two years,” he
said.
To ensure the success of the CCT program, the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) monitors the beneficiaries
if they do send their children to school and give them proper health care.
“Kapag tumanggap ka ng CCT, kailangan mag-aral
at pumasok sa eskwela ang iyong mga anak. Kaya nga ito tinatawag na
conditional. Hindi ito ibibigay lang sa’yo at bahala ka na. May monitoring na
ginagawa ang DSWD,” he said, adding that those who do not comply are taken out
of the program.
“To a large extent, it will be criminal for us
not to help the poorest of the poor. That is our commitment—that no one should
be left behind,” Lacierda said. PND (ag)
Government determined in repatriating Filipinos
from Libya, Palace official says
The Palace said on Monday the government is
determined to bring home overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) whose lives may be in
danger in Libya.
“For those who find themselves in a very, very
dangerous situation, in a very perilous situation, the government would
certainly want them to come home safely,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin
Lacierda told reporters during a press briefing in Malacañang.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs
(DFA), some 831 Filipinos have returned from Libya as of August 3.
Secretary Lacierda however noted that there are
a number of reasons why some Filipinos in Libya refuse to come home.
“For instance, a number of them are already
married to Libyan nationals. So, mahirap biyakin ang pamilya ‘pag ganoon ang
situation,” he explained.
For those who fear facing unemployment when they
return, Lacierda said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) could help
them find new jobs here and abroad.
“It has happened to us. If you recall, in our
row with Taiwan, we were already looking at other countries that would like to
absorb our OFWs. And for instance, in Batangas, there was a company called
[AG&P], which absorbed a number of OFWs to their fold,” he said.
He said the government is trying to contact the
OFWs by coordinating with the Filipino community in Libya as well as their
relatives in the Philippines. PND (ag)
