MANILA – Quirino representative Dakila Carlo Cua said government agencies have committed to expedite social mitigating measures under the tax reform law and help poor families affected by rising commodity prices.
“We wanted to find out about the status of the social protection measures under TRAIN and the available options to move these forward,” the lawmaker said.
The proposed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte last December. It took effect on Jan. 1, 2018.
Cua noted the discussions with various government were productive. “The agencies committed definite timelines of what the public can expect in the coming months.”
These were the commitments made during a roundtable at the House of Representives on Thursday, based on Section 82 of Republic Act No. 10963 – the TRAIN Act – specifically focusing on three social mitigating measures for the poor:
- Unconditional cash transfers of P200 a month
- Fuel vouchers for public utility jeepney drivers
- Fare discount, reduced price of National Food Authority rice, and free skills training for the poorest 50 percent of the population
According to the lawmaker, the Department of Social Welfare and Development has committed to provide the full amount of P2,400 for 2018 to 8 million families.
The targeted families comprise 4.4 million beneficiaries under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Progam, 3 million beneficiaries under the Social Pension Program for indigent senior citizens, and 600,000 beneficiaries identified using the “listahanan” or masterlist based on the DSWD’s assessment and validation of the so-called poor households.
The remaining 2 million beneficiaries are expected to receive their cash transfers by mid-September.
Next month, the Department of Transportation is rolling out the Pantawid Pasada Program – provide Public Utility Jeepney (PUJ) franchise holders with discounts on fuel purchases.
A total of P977 billion has been allocated for the subsidy this year. The money will be loaded into debit cards to be distributed by the regional offices of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
The social benefits card was also discussed, Cua said.
“The card aims to provide the unemployed, minimum wage earners, and the poorest 50 percent of the population with discounts on transportation and rice, and free skills training. Initially, the executive agencies planned to attach these benefits to the National ID.”
However, Cua said that the social benefits card should proceed ahead of the National ID to avoid further delays.
The Department of Budget and Management is set to convene an inter-agency meeting this month to firm up the details of the social benefits card and what the beneficiaries would get.
A second round table will be scheduled next month. (GMA News)
