Tag: 4Ps

Posted on

Lacson to Scrutinize Dubious Farm-to-Market Roads, ‘Ayuda’ Programs, Super Health Centers Linked to P255B DPWH Fund Realignment

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson intends to scrutinize potentially dubious farm-to-market roads, “ayuda” programs and “Super Health Centers” that “benefited” from some P255.5 billion from flood control project funds of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the 2026 budget.

Lacson said an initial check of the realignments showed the funds went to these items, as well as some “ayuda” programs that may be funded by unprogrammed appropriations.

Part of the realignments also went to the Health Facility Enhancement Program (HFEP) that funds the Super Health Centers, he added.

“Much of the realignments went to farm-to-market roads. The question is, is the list of such roads from the Department of Agriculture or from congressmen?” Lacson said.

“Some ayuda programs are to be funded by unprogrammed appropriations. We intend to uproot these and return them to the regular budget,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson, Bubusisiin ang Kahina-hinalang Farm-to-Market Roads, ‘Ayuda’ Programs, at Super Health Centers na Pinondohan Mula sa P255B DPWH Fund Realignment

Continue reading “Lacson to Scrutinize Dubious Farm-to-Market Roads, ‘Ayuda’ Programs, Super Health Centers Linked to P255B DPWH Fund Realignment”

Posted on

Ping Lacson Seeks to Harmonize ‘Ayuda’ Programs, Penalize Political Exploitation with Expanded 4Ps Bill

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson seeks to harmonize the government’s social protection programs while penalizing political exploitation of such programs, under a bill expanding the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Lacson noted that while social protection programs and “ayudas” are crucial to address inequality and poverty such as in the case of 4Ps which ranks among the world’s best in targeting the poor, many newly created provisional programs have been criticized as becoming tools of political patronage.

“With the unprecedented expansion of ayuda programs, critics have branded us the moniker ‘ayuda nation’ … Pressing concerns have been raised regarding the potential of various dole-outs to foster dependency and, even worse, serve as a political tool that promotes the entrenchment of the culture of mendicancy. Ayuda, misappropriated as instruments of patronage, has been wrongly construed to come from politicians’ pockets rather than from the tax and non-tax revenues of our nation,” Lacson said in Senate Bill 31 or the “Expanded Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Act of 2025,” which amends Republic Act 11310.

“The ever-changing landscape for social protection has created overlaps, duplication, and fragmentation… These overlaps and duplications breed potential for misuse, fraud, or errors to the disadvantage of the target poor and marginalized beneficiaries,” he added.

In Filipino: Panukalang Expanded 4Ps ni Ping Lacson, Gagawing Magkatugma ang ‘Ayuda’ Programs at Paparusahan ang Pagsasamantala Nito

Continue reading “Ping Lacson Seeks to Harmonize ‘Ayuda’ Programs, Penalize Political Exploitation with Expanded 4Ps Bill”

Posted on

Ping Lacson Starts Reviewing the Mangling of the 2025 Budget

Incoming Senator Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson, together with his prospective staff, have started taking a deep dive into how the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) or national budget was mangled, to prevent a possible similar butchering of the national budget bill for next year.

Lacson said they are reviewing how changes were made from the National Expenditure Program (NEP) to the versions of the budget bill in the House, Senate, and bicameral conference committee, all the way to the enrolled bill.

“We are juxtaposing the NEP, the House, Senate and bicameral versions of the bill, and the enrolled bill to see how the 2025 budget was mangled. We are looking at the NEP or President’s budget and what changes were made in the House version, the Senate version, and the bicam version,” he said in Filipino, in an interview on One News late Thursday.

In Filipino: Ping Lacson, Sinimulan ang Pag-Review sa Pagkalikot sa 2025 Budget

Continue reading “Ping Lacson Starts Reviewing the Mangling of the 2025 Budget”

Posted on

On the President’s Call for Cabinet Secretaries’ Courtesy Resignations

More than recalibrating his administration by calling for the courtesy resignations of his Cabinet members, the President must exercise his “persuasive” powers over Congress, especially the House of Representatives, to get rid of indiscriminate and self-aggrandizing “insertions” and “pork barrel” in the forthcoming congressional deliberations of the 2026 budget measure.

The 2025 General Appropriations Act is like a deadly virus that is choking the country to perdition. With the President taking the lead in at least tempering the insatiable greed of some legislators, I vow to do my share in helping him come up with a national budget that is truly responsive to the people’s clamor for sanity and a little timidity among the members of Congress in addressing the needs of their constituents.

With the exception of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), eliminating all other forms of “ayuda” and integrating them under the 4Ps in the National Expenditure Program all the way to the Enrolled Bill should be a good start. As I have consistently posited – AKAP, AICS, TUPAD, MAIFIP and similar social services programs may be integrated under the 4Ps in compliance with RA 11310, which I intend to amend through a bill that I will file when I assume office as an elected Senator of the Republic.

It is time to give the Filipino people a chance to benefit more from the taxes that they pay out of their hard-earned money.

*****