Press Release - SIRM: Who should get ayuda from the gov't?

"This isn't the first time complaints have reached the Senate from officials and communities alike. AICS, AKAP, all types of ayuda are intended for the poor, not for those who exploit the poor for their political gain." SIRM also requested an update on the DSWD's own investigation into the OVP's report that requests for financial assistance coursed through them had been repeatedly denied. DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian denied the claims and pledged to share screenshots between DSWD and OVP, as well as their report disproving the allegations of "politicized ayuda."

During the second hearing over which SIRM presided, Congressman Khymer Olazoalso claimed that the agency withheld payouts for political reasons. Similar complaints surfaced in Surigao del Norte and North Cotabato.

With the proposed P229.8 billion DSWD budget, Marcos questioned the effectiveness of key programs, including the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), and Kalahi-CIDSS.

"Seventeen years in, we should evaluate and improve our 4Ps program, the cornerstone of our anti-poverty efforts," she said, citing data showing that only 39.1% of recipients improved their living conditions, while 60% remained in poverty.

"These numbers tell us it's high time we pause, reflect, and implement the necessary changes for the program to effectively address intergenerational poverty," Marcos emphasized, urging reforms to enhance the agency's impact.

During the hearing, Marcos also underscored the importance of protecting DSWD's contractual workers, expanding feeding programs, and improving cash grants and cash-for-work initiatives for students and persons with disabilities (PWDs). She called for the revival of the Pag-abot and Balik Probinsya programs to encourage Filipinos to return to their home provinces.