'Aquino govt uses poverty as an excuse to divert public fund,' says urban poor group (After storming DSWD and burning dummies of CCT ATM Cards)

NEWS RELEASE I August 5, 2011

QUEZON CITY, Philippines--The Aquino administration would be no different from the previous regime if it persists in allocating more funds to its Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program despite dozens of criticisms from different sectors regarding its dole-out program for the poor.

This is the statement of Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (KADAMAY) as its members stormed the main office of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Batasan today, and burned dummies of CCT ATM cards as an act of condemnation.

“The government is spending a big chunk of taxpayer's money for a program that is ineffective, and is very prone to corruption,” Carlito Badion, Kadamay national vice chairpesron said referring to CCT.

“Aquino and (DSWD Sec. Dinky) Soliman are riding on the issue of widespread poverty to defend the proposed bigger fund for CCT that could have been allocated to implementing long-term poverty alleviation measures such as job creation and delivery of basic social services,” he added.

Its implementing agency, the DSWD, has proposed a budget of P49.2 billion for 2012. Of that amount, P39,444,651,000 is for CCT alone, from P21 billion in the 2011 appropriations. Aside from the dole-out program, the agency will spend P2.8 billion for supplemental feeding programs, P881 million for the food for work for internally displaced program and P103 million for the national household targeting system for poverty reduction.

According to Kadamay, the increased fund for CCT speaks of the government's deafness to the clamor of its people, and its blindness to the real poverty situation.

CCT-Lovers
Despite corruption allegations thrown to the previous administration, Aquino has actually perpetuated some of Arroyo's programs that are supposedly fundamental in addressing poverty issue, CCT and CARPer (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with Extension and Reform), included.

Kadamay has recently coined Aquino and Arroyo as CCT-lovers, because of their penchant to the dole-out program. The former president had allegedly personally thank Aquino for 'adopting' her baby.'

“Why can't the government create real jobs for the bulk of unemployed poor Filipinos?” Badion asked referring to the inability of the government to implement nationalist industrialization contrary to the dictates of neoliberal policies that has dwarfed Philippine econmony to be import-dependent and export-oriented.

The 39.4 billion fund could be invested in opening big industries in the cities and in the countryside that could the country's natural products instead of exporting them to other industrialized countries, said Badion. “Hundreds of thousands of poor Filipinos could be given instant and regular employment," he added.

Question of sincerity
Aside from exposing a huge chunk of taxpayers' money to corruption, the group said that the administration has failed to act on the long-standing problem of agrarian reform while it condones landgrabbing by big landlords, his Aquino-Cojuangco clan included.

“We are not surprised that Aquino only perpetuates the inutile agrarian reform program of the previous administration and pro-landlord groups like Akbayan, because his Cojuangco clan is among those to benefit from CARPer,” Badion added.

The group questioned the sincerity of the past and present governments in distributing lands to millions of landless of Filipinos, as it mentions the failure of CARP, the land reform program started by Aquino's mother in fulfilling its promise to the farmers, as well as its extension program, CARPer.

“The worsening hunger and poverty situation in the country resonates the failure of the government's land reform program,” Badion said as CARPer will have two years of its implementation on August 7.

Further implementation of CARPer, along with his dole-out program for the poor, will only reveal Aquino's incompetence and his sincerity in fulfilling his promise of change to millions of hungry and poor Filipinos.

Reference: Carlito Badion, Kadamay National Vice Chairperson(09393873736)