Senator Erwin Tulfo said the government should stop giving monthly cash aid to the poor and instead give them livelihood support to help them earn on their own.
Tulfo, who is the chairman of the Senate Committee on Social Justice and Welfare, said some people are abusing the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), and it’s better to help the poor start small businesses instead.
He said even some 4Ps members told him that they would rather receive capital for a small business than get monthly assistance.
This was based on what he heard when he was Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in 2022.
Tulfo added that 4Ps beneficiaries feel hurt when people call them lazy or say they are a burden to the country.
He said, “If we give them business capital, they can help the economy — even just by opening a small eatery, a store, or selling online.”
Tulfo also said it is unfair to low-income workers like security guards, janitors, and house helpers. These people work hard but don’t receive monthly aid from the government because they don’t qualify for 4Ps.
He plans to suggest this idea to DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. when he meets them.
