House leaders appeal not to cut 4Ps budget

MANILA – Three House of Representatives leaders have made a plea to Senator Imee Marcos, urging her to refrain from a purported practice of reallocating government funds originally designated for the most impoverished citizens.

Deputy Speaker David Suarez and Deputy Majority Leader Jude Acidre, representing the party-list Tingog, expressed their concern yesterday over Marcos’ decision in 2023 to redirect the P13-billion allocation intended for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), consequently depriving nearly 900,000 families, or approximately 4.3 million Filipinos, of assistance.

Assistant Minority Leader and 4Ps party-list Representative JC Abalos II joined in the appeal, urging Marcos to refrain from further budget cuts to the 4Ps program administered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“Let’s not forget that 4Ps is a law. It’s not just a regular program, it’s not just a project that comes and goes. It’s a law. It has specific beneficiaries. It has specific objectives and therefore the funding has to be secured to support the intent of the program,” Suarez stressed.

The congressman representing the second district of Quezon province stated that the presidential sister “should provide clarification” regarding her “habit of budget realignment,” particularly given her acknowledgment of slashing billions from the 2023 General Appropriations Act.

“Firstly, I think the question is – and because she admitted slashing the 4Ps funds – how many millions of Filipinos have been affected with the funds that have been diverted?” he asked. “The bigger question is, apparently, this realignment habit is not limited to fiscal year 2023.”

In a statement, Marcos acknowledged that she had proposed the reallocation of approximately P8 billion from the 4Ps funding to other DSWD programs, such as supplemental feeding, KALAHI-CIDSS, Quick Response Fund for disasters, and AICS, during deliberations on the 2023 national budget in 2022.

“The P5-billion AICS reduction occurred after I had recommended the amount in the Senate version, but the bicameral removed it for lack of fiscal space post-COVID. Those two amounts – P8 billion plus P5 billion – are perhaps what some befuddled members are referring to,” she said.