Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman today stated that the proposed budget for 2013 amounting to P55.97 Billion is primarily intended for the continuous implementation of DSWD’s contribution to the poverty reduction programs. This will achieve the Aquino administration’s goal of inclusive growth, and the President’s fulfillment of his social contract with the Filipino people.
“The DSWD’s proposed budget for 2013 focuses on strengthening the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Kapig-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan – Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS), Sustainable Livelihood, Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens, Supplementary Feeding Program, and other Protective Services so that more poor families will be reached and not be left behind,” Secretary Soliman explained.
Secretary Soliman said that DSWD’s 2013 proposed budget is higher by P7.3 Billion or 15% over the 2012 budget. This budget is 2.8% of the total national proposed budget of P2.006 Trillion, and 7.9% of the total budget for social services.
Furthermore, 79% or P 44.25 Billion is for the implementation of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program where an additional 800,000 families will be enrolled to complete the 3.8 million target household-beneficiaries for 2013. Of this amount, P40.4 Billion will be for cash grants that will go from Landbank straight to the beneficiaries’ ATM cards, or through accredited Landbank conduits for areas without Landbank ATMs. As of August 15, 2012, there are 3,038,420 household-beneficiaries, and more than 7.4 Million children already benefiting from the program.
“I am confident that our legislators see the importance of investing in our children whom the DSWD is trying to keep in school and in good health, thus, we are optimistic that our proposed budget for 2013 will be approved,” Secretary Soliman emphasized.
Other programs funded under the 2013 budget are:
- Supplementary Feeding Program, P2,960,789,000
- Sustainable Livelihood, P1,797,090,000
- Social Pension for Indigent Filipino Senior Citizens, P1,532,953,000
- Disaster Response, P662,500,000
- KALAHI-CIDSS, P650,370,000
- Comprehensive Program for Street Children, P36,500,000
- Recovery and Reintegration Program for Trafficked Persons, P23,635,000. ###
