Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda (UNTV News)
MANILA, Philippines — Kinuwestyon ng Malacañang ang pahayag ng ilang mambabatas na imbestigahan ng kongreso ang epekto ng Conditional Cash Transfer o CCT program sa mga mahihirap na mamamayan.
Ayon kay Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda, hindi nila alam kung ano ang naging basehan nina Senator Bong-bong Marcos at house minority leader Ronaldo Zamora sa kanilang pahayag na wala umanong patunay na nabawasan ang mahihirap na pamilya sa bansa dahil sa CCT program.
Aniya, “I don’t know where Senator Marcos is coming from — is he stating this as matter of fact base on evidence.”
“The poverty ratio has gone down. The poverty ratio gone down 3 points so we have never claimed the government it solved all the problems. I think it has been gains — it is very clear the World Bank itself mention in their 2011 report that the CCT program raised income beneficiary by 12.6 percent,” dagdag nito.
Batay sa datos ng Malacañang, tatlong poryento ang ibinaba ng poverty incidence sa Pilipinas noong 1st semester ng 2013 kumpara noong 2012.
Kaya ayon sa palasyo, hindi na kailangang magpatawag pa ng imbestigasyon ang kongreso kaugnay ng isyu sa CCT lalo na at nakahanda na ang budget hearing sa mga ahensya ng pamahalaan.
Paliwanag pa ni Secretary Lacierda, noon pa man ay layon na ng administrasyon na magbigay ng trabaho sa mga Pilipino na siya ring layunin ng CCT program.
“Sure we want everyone have gainfully employed but in between a person who is coming poorest of the poor with no resources with no capacity, whose health is endanger, health is not protected to given to improve his lives you have to move to that point coming from nowhere to be gainfully employed,” ani Secretary Lacierda.
Kinuwestiyon rin ng ilang mambabatas ang malaking budget na inilaan sa CCT program sa 2015 proposed national budget.
Umaabot sa 64.7 billion pesos ang itinalagang budget sa CCT program na mas malaki kumpara sa 29 billion pesos noong 2011. (Nel Maribojoc, UNTV News)