By RONALYN V. OLEA
“The budget continues to prop up defective policies imposed by foreign creditors such as privatization while allocating huge resources for CCT dole-outs to conceal the harsh social impact of such programs and automatically setting aside a significant portion for debt servicing.” – Bayan
By SONNY AFRICA/IBON Foundation
In closing the 2012 SONA, President Aquino asked rhetorically: “Isn’t the agenda for change moving forward?” Unfortunately after two years, there is clearly no fundamental change and no systematic economic reforms taking place.
Stories from CCT communities give us a picture that is different from how government describes the positive impact of its anti-poverty program.
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO Bulatlat.com MANILA — It’s a sure sign that national elections are just around the corner: the Benigno Aquino III government is calling for a P6-billion ($139.5-m).increase in the budget for the controversial conditional cash transfer program (CCT). Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Emmi de Jesus said it’s impossible not to link…
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL and JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
“This flagship program of Aquino is just a palliative measure. People don’t need dole-outs. What they really need is a permanent job.” – Gloria Arellano, president of Kadamay
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Meager spending for social services show that the 2012 budget is anti-people and far from being a ‘reform budget’.” – Vencer Crisostomo, national chairman of Anakbayan.
Sidebar: Filipinos get P1.25 for health, P6.55 for education per day
By MARYA SALAMAT
“We only learned about the fast-tracked evacuation and bidding plans after we got hold of a copy of the ‘not-for-circulation’ documents on the planned sale of Welfareville,” Romy Valenzuela, NACEMHEA –AHW President
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO Bulatlat.com The urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap dismissed the recent report the World Bank (WB) released jointly with the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAid) on the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program, formally known as Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps. Malacang said the WB-AusAID report “validates what…
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO Bulatlat.com MANILA — Blame the lack of genuine agrarian reform in the country for the increasing number of urban poor and worsening urban poverty. Blame the Aquino government for continuing disastrous programs implemented by the previous administration. On the second anniversary of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with Extension and…
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL Bulatlat.com The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) or popularly known as conditional cash transfer (CCT) was conceived to achieve the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals (MDG). The MDGs targeted eight international development goals to achieve by 2015, including eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality…
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
“The government should have given us permanent jobs instead of this (conditional cash transfer). Money is not permanent, we lose it in a day, unlike when we have a permanent job, we would somehow have permanent resources to spend for our needs,” – Angie Lorenzo, beneficiary