The proposed budget of Department of Social Welfare and Development for 2017 is more than 129 billion pesos.
The proposed budget has an increase of 18 billion pesos.
One of the reasons for the budget hike is the government’s plan of implementing rice subsidy and the new target of the Duterte administration in the implementation of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4P’s.
“It seems that DSWD is having difficulty to hit your targets,” Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. Karlo Nograles said.
According to the data of DSWD, in 2015, only 88 percent were disbursed from the total allocated budget. As of July 2016, only 34 percent was disbursed by the department.
DSWD Undersecretary Mateo Montaño explains that most of their programs, the big ticket items are thus have different spending patterns.
According to DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, they are already investigating the reason why Landbank still has not liquidated the 6 billion-peso funds allocated for the 2015-conditional cash transfer program.
In the deliberation, the house also evaluates the DSWD’s system on how the agency identifies the poor families who will become the benefiries of CCT.
DSWD says it is ready to coordinate with the lawmakers to make the implementation of the CCT program more effective.
The department requests for more than 78 billion pesos for the 2017 to continue the implementation of the 4P’s.
The house sets another hearing for the DSWD budget on September 13 to address more questions from the lawmakers. — Nel Maribojoc | UNTV News & Rescue
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