P12.5 Billion Allotted For Bayanihan 2 Assistance
The Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) acquired P12.5 billion intended for assistance to borrowers as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect people’s livelihood. The P12.5 billion loan relief was released today. Bayanihan 2’s validity has been extended up to June 2021 to further help people financially amid the pandemic. Aside from DBP, state-run Philippine […].....»»
P12.5 Billion Allotted For Bayanihan 2 Assistance
The Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) acquired P12.5 billion intended for assistance to borrowers as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect people’s livelihood. The P12.5 billion loan relief was released today. Bayanihan 2’s validity has been extended up to June 2021 to further help people financially amid the pandemic. Aside from DBP, state-run Philippine […].....»»
BOI offers stronger tax perks
For manufacturer Manufacturers in the Philippines are allowed to carry over any operating loss from financial year 2020-2021 as tax deduction from gross income over the next five taxable years, according to the Board of Investments (BOI). BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo said this has been allowed under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2, which provides P165 billion in economic stimulus package. “A range of new financial measures and incentives are now available to manufacturers in the Philippines, thanks to new legislation recently signed into law,” said Rodolfo, who is also Trade and Industry’s Undersecretary for industry promotions group. The ‘Bayanihan 2 Act’ is aimed at helping the Philippines recover from the economic impact of Covid-19. It was signed into law by President Duterte in September. Elsewhere, he said, many qualified manufacturers will be exempt from business taxes, import duties, and other fees on a range of products. This includes the production of medical equipment and Covid-19 related items such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), as well as the raw materials relevant to the manufacturing of these items. The same relief measures will also apply to the production of equipment for waste management, including waste segregation, storage, collection, sorting, treatment and disposal services. The Philippine Board of Investments (BOI) is urging manufacturers and other large businesses to take advantage of these provisions. For more details on doing so, businesses can book an appointment with BOI via their Facebook page and speak to a dedicated specialist. Information is also available on BOI’s Covid-19 resource hub for businesses. “We know that Covid-19 is still having a significant impact on the operations of manufacturers across the Philippines, and we at BOI are doing all we can to help them,” said Rodolfo as he urged businesses to visit BOI resource hub website and book an appointment with BOI via its Facebook page. “Our dedicated specialists can help businesses understand more about how they can take advantage of the incentives and support in the Bayanihan 2 Act” The Bayanihan 2 stimulus package consists of P140 billion of regular appropriations and an additional standby fund of P25.5 billion. Under the law, P3 billion will be allotted for the procurement of personal protective equipment, face masks, and face shields; P4.5 billion for the construction of temporary medical isolation and quarantine facilities and the expansion of government hospital capacity; and P13.5 billion for emergency employment and compensation of health workers. A total of P4.5 billion will be used to finance isolation facilities, hotel accommodation, food, and transportation of Covid-19 patients; and PHP5 billion for the hiring of contact tracers. Other allocations include P13 billion for the cash-for-work program; P9.5 billion for assistance to public utility drivers and other programs of the transportation department; P6 billion for “individuals in crisis” and other programs of the social welfare department; P4 billion for the tourism industry; and P4 billion for the education department’s implementation of digital learning. Bayanihan 2 is the second installment of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act (Bayanihan 1), which gave Duterte emergency powers to address the Covid-19 crisis in the country. The Bayanihan 1 law, signed by the president on March 25, already expired on June 25, 2020......»»
DSWD chief orders probe of 4Ps cash grants going to ‘Socorro cult’
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Thursday ordered an investigation on reports that a religious cult is collecting the cash grant of its members who are beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). The DSWD chief ordered the probe following the privileged speech of Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday, 18 September, which detailed the activities of the Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc., which the senator alleged to be a religious cult in Surigao del Norte. “We have taken stock of the privilege speech of the good senator, Madame Chair, and we took inventory immediately of how many 4Ps households we have there. But obviously, these are initial numbers because it could not be in just one sitio but in more sitios,” Secretary Gatchalian told senators during the hearing on the DSWD’s proposed P207.37 billion on Wednesday, 20 September. Secretary Gatchalian said that in Sitio Kapihan in the Municipality of Socorro, there are 74 households which are 4Ps beneficiaries. “In that barangay itself, Barangay Siring, we have 503 households,” he said. “We’ve already spoken about getting our city links and our municipal links to pry into the well-being of these 4Ps beneficiaries in that area,” the DSWD chief said as he promised to provide the Senate with an update on the investigation. The 4Ps is a human development measure of the national government that provides conditional cash grants to the poorest of the poor, to improve the health, nutrition, and education of children aged 0 to 18. Gatchalian maintained that as a matter of practice in the DSWD, “What is for the beneficiary is for the beneficiary.” “It’s against the creed of the Department when may tumabas, no matter kung sino man yan (whoever violates, no matter who it is), no government official, no private individual can take what is given directly to the beneficiary,” Gatchalian told senators during the budget hearing. Gatchalian told the senators that the Department will also look into the beneficiaries of Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) in the Caraga Administrative Region (Region 13), with a focus on those barangays and sitios that are within the area of influence of the religious cult. “Whenever we get allegations of AICS misuse, we take it seriously, and even here in the Central Office, in any of our Field Office,” the DSWD chief said, adding that the Department’s Caraga regional director is already looking into the AICS track distribution in the area. “And then we can do backtracking and our standard investigation tracks also… We will immediately copy furnish the office of the committee as well as the office of the good senator on the findings of the 4Ps as well as the AICS clusters,” Gatchalian said. Senators Hontiveros and Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, each filed a resolution calling for a Senate investigation into the activities of the alleged religious cult Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc., which is based in Surigao del Norte. The post DSWD chief orders probe of 4Ps cash grants going to ‘Socorro cult’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
SUC group laments P4-B budget cut
Two members of the House of Representatives yesterday joined the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges in calling for an increase in the P21.69-billion budget it was allotted after the Department of Budget and Management recommended a cut in its original request. PASUC originally asked for a P25.8-billion budget but this was slashed by the DBM by over P4 billion in the P5.768-trillion National Expenditure Program it submitted to Congress for fiscal year 2024. Representatives Raoul Manuel and Mark Go joined PASUC officials in calling for an increase in the budget for state universities and colleges during the hearing on the group’s budget at the House. PASUC president Dr. Tirso Ronquillo told lawmakers the DBM trimmed their projected budget to P21.69 billion even as they expect to enroll 1,803,359 student-beneficiaries under the government’s free higher education program. “Our projection is based on our projected enrollment and the current tuition at each SUC. We factored in an increase in enrollment [as a] rule of thumb,” Ronquillo said. Manuel noted that as the government allots a big chunk of the national budget for infrastructure projects, the funding for state universities and colleges always takes a back seat. “They were not as blessed compared to other agencies,” he said. He said that while the government needs to fund infrastructure projects for their “long-term multiplier effects,” it should not be at the expense of education which has enduring benefits for future generations. Stand on own feet Manuel urged PASUC to provide greater assistance to students to alleviate the financial strain on them arising from supplementary expenses, including campus services, dorm fees and food. While universities can devise policies and guidelines to prioritize those students who could be accommodated in their dormitories, Ronquilo said that students must also learn to stand on their own feet. “While it’s really good to support the education of our students, I think we also have to teach our students social responsibility,” Manuel emphasized. Go, however, asked PASUC not to see the P4.16-billion deficit as a budget cut, but rather as an alternative means to align with the government’s allotted expenditure for the provisions of free education to students. “I would like to suggest to all SUCs to look at your income and see how you can fill the gap if there is any after the budget is approved,” Go said. The post SUC group laments P4-B budget cut appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DBM allots P12.9B for various job creation programs
The Department of Budget and Management has earmarked P12.919 billion for the Department of Labor and Employment's (DOLE) initiative, 'Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers' (TUPAD) program in the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP) to bolster job creation for Filipinos. In a statement on Thursday, DBM said the Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program of DOLE will receive P16.4 billion, from which the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) Program will receive P12.92 billion. The TUPAD program, a community-based assistance package providing emergency employment, is expected to benefit over 1.358 million displaced, underemployed, and seasonal workers. "We are strengthening social protection measures to ensure that no one will be left behind, especially the marginalized and vulnerable sectors," Department of Budget and Management Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said. TUPAD provides occupation to Filipinos for a minimum period of 10 days to a maximum of 90 days, depending on the nature of the work to be performed. All disadvantaged workers aged 18 and older are qualified as TUPAD program beneficiaries. Senior citizens are also eligible for the program, provided that they are fit to work and would not engage in hazardous work. Meanwhile, only one member per family shall be eligible for the assistance. In no instance shall the beneficiaries be availed of more than once in a calendar year, except in cases of natural or human-induced disaster or calamity. Furthermore, DOLE’s Government Internship Program (GIP), which aims to provide opportunities to 13,554 youth beneficiaries, was allocated P807.716 million in the proposed 2024 NEP. On the other hand, the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP), which will benefit 63,959 marginalized workers, was allotted P2.3 billion, while P407 million was earmarked for the Adjustment Measures Program. The post DBM allots P12.9B for various job creation programs appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
P2 billion allotted for cancer treatment, patient support in proposed 2024 budget
The cancer assistance fund will partially cover both outpatient and inpatient cancer control services......»»
DBP unloads P1-B LGUs debt support
State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines or DBP has completed the disbursement of funds under the P1-billion interest rate subsidy program covering local government units or LGUs in the implementation of response and recovery interventions during the pandemic, a top official said. DBP president and chief executive officer Michael de Jesus said a total of 264 LGUs, of which, 69 percent belong to the 2nd to 6th income class, benefited from DBP ASENSO-Bayanihan Interest Subsidy Fund or ISF program, which was part of the menu of financial assistance of the national government under Republic Act 11494 or the “Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.” “DBP is honored to be a responsive partner of our LGUs as they continue to build back more from the ill effects of the pandemic,” De Jesus said. “The bank remains steadfast in our commitment to advance the programs of the national government that seeks to strengthen and fortify the resiliency of our LGUs against future challenges,” according to the official. Support to 4 sectors DBP is the eighth largest lender in the country in terms of assets and provides credit support to four strategic sectors which are infrastructure and logistics; micro, small and medium enterprises; environment; social services and community development. RA 11494 mandates government financial institutions to provide subsidies to LGUs for new and existing loans availed for the implementation of their respective Covid-19 response and recovery interventions such as permanent working capital and acquisition of agricultural equipment and construction. De Jesus said that through the DBP ASENSO-Bayanihan ISF program, LGUs were able to conserve financial resources for interest payments, which were channeled to other essential developmental projects that helped create opportunities amidst the slowdown in the national economy. He said most of the projects supported by the program covered infrastructure development such as the construction of roads and bridges, multipurpose buildings, acquisition of heavy equipment units, and Covid-related infrastructure. “As the disbursement phase of the ISF concludes, DBP remains determined to sustain its support for the nation’s economic recovery efforts and explore avenues that will contribute to our country’s overall progress,” De Jesus said. The post DBP unloads P1-B LGUs debt support appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Marcos admin earmarks P138B for higher education — DBM
CEBU – The Marcos administration has allocated a total of P138.77 billion for Higher Education programs and initiatives under the 2023 General Appropriations Act to put a premium on the education of Filipino children. Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said on Tuesday that it reflects the Marcos administration’s commitment to empowering the youth. “President (Ferdinand) Marcos (Jr.) himself said that education is the only legacy we can leave our children that will never go to waste. Indeed, education is our best investment for the nation,” Pangandaman said. "This is likewise in consonance with the promise of Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte to help the sector produce graduates that are employable," Pangandaman added. The P138.77 billion budget for Higher Education will go to State Universities and Colleges or SUCs (P107.04 billion) and the Commission on Higher Education or CHED (P31.73 billion). Part of the budget will be used to fund the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Program (UAQTE) with P45.8 billion. Other educational programs are likewise allotted with necessary funding for 2023. These include Student Financial Assistance Programs (P1.52 billion) which aim to provide scholarships and grant-in-aid programs to 21,053 student beneficiaries. A total of P500 million was likewise allocated for Medical Scholarship and Return Service Program to assist deserving medical students to pursue education and training, in exchange for services rendered in public health offices or hospitals. Meanwhile, the amount of P167 million will subsidize the tuition fees of medical students in SUCs. The post Marcos admin earmarks P138B for higher education — DBM appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Go, go, go for the gold!
We have nothing but admiration and best wishes for our national athletes who are currently competing at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games. Together with my colleagues, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senator Francis Tolentino, Philippine Sports Commission Chair Dickie Bachmann and Commissioner Matthew Gaston, among other officials, we took the time last weekend to personally cheer on our representatives in the regional biennial sports meet in Cambodia. There, we witnessed once again the never-say-die attitude and spirit of all our Filipino athletes. As Chair of the Senate Committee on Sports and a firm advocate of long-term and grassroots sports development in the country, I was particularly filled with pride after seeing the dedication, discipline and undeniable talent of our athletes. That is why I remain committed to helping strengthen the development of sports in our communities. Sports keep our young people away from vices and criminality. As I always say, “Get into sports, stay away from drugs!” Last year, I sponsored and defended additional funding for the PSC during its 2023 budget deliberation, particularly for grassroots sports development and in support of athletes joining international competitions. What was supposedly just more or less P200 million proposed annual budget for PSC was increased by P1 billion through our efforts and with the support of my colleagues in the Senate. Particularly, the increase in the PSC’s 2023 budget is intended to support the Filipino athletes in international competitions, such as the Asian Games, SEA Games, Summer Olympics in Paris, ASEAN Para Games, Asian Indoor Martial Arts Games, World Combat Games, World Beach Games, and Asian Beach Games, among others. Portions of the funds were also allotted for the country’s hosting of the FIBA World Cup in 2023 as well as for grassroots sports programs, such as Batang Pinoy, the Philippine National Games, and those under the Sports Development Council. Moreover, funding was allocated for the development of sports infrastructure across the country, as well as for advanced research and development in sports sciences and sports technology. The provision of other financial assistance to Filipino athletes was also funded. I have also authored and co-sponsored Republic Act No. 11470, establishing the National Academy of Sports in 2020 to help ensure that our promising young athletes can further hone their talents while getting quality education. More recently, I filed Senate Bill 423, or the proposed Philippine National Games Act of 2022, with the aim of institutionalizing and providing a structure for a more comprehensive national sports program, linking grassroots sports promotion to national sports development. Meanwhile, together with my team, I was in Batangas province on 8 May where I personally led a series of relief operations for 1,109 indigents in Batangas City and 1,000 more in San Pascual town. As an adopted son of CALABARZON and a fellow Batangueño, I am thankful for being able to serve them to the best of my capacity as a public servant. I likewise visited the newly renovated San Pascual Super Health Center and met with some health workers to listen to their concerns and discuss ways to improve the delivery of healthcare services in their communities. The Super Health Center is an improved version of a polyclinic, which seeks to provide our fellow Filipinos, especially those in remote areas, easier access to basic health services. Through the collective efforts of fellow lawmakers and the Department of Health, 307 SHCs were funded in 2022 and 322 more in 2023. Last Tuesday, we conducted a public hearing by the Senate Committee on Health on mental health. As the committee’s chair, I reiterated that the state of our National Center for Mental Health is in need of utmost attention and improvement to preserve the basic right of all Filipinos to healthcare. Meanwhile, on 10 May, I led a relief effort for 672 fire victims from Pritil Public Market in Tondo, Manila. This was followed by a visit to Nueva Ecija last 11 May, where I personally inspected the Talavera bridge — a project I had earlier supported as Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance. I then conducted a monitoring visit to the Malasakit Center at the Talavera General Hospital to personally assess its operations and ensure that indigent patients are given the assistance they need. In line with this, we extended relief to 79 patients and 406 front liners in the hospital while the Department of Social Welfare and Development extended financial aid to the qualified patients. On the same day, my team and I visited the town of Llanera to inspect its Super Health Center and attend the inauguration of the public wet market there, both of which I had advocated and supported. We then assisted 1,000 indigents in the town. As an adopted son of Nueva Ecija, I continue to support the province and help its people as much as I can. Separately, my outreach teams mounted several relief operations last week that benefitted 100 indigents in Veruela, 100 in Sta. Josefa, 40 in Esperanza, and 40 in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur; 227 in Botolan and 163 in Iba, Zambales; 520 Kibawe, Dangcagan, Cabanglasan and Malitbog, Bukidnon; 141 in General Natividad, Nueva Ecija; 2,199 in Gingoog City, 50 in Naawan, and 50 in Jasaan, Misamis Oriental; 332 in Minalin, Pampanga; 129 in Hamtic, Antique; 233 in Casiguran, and 166 in Dilasag, Aurora; and 44 in Sta. Maria and 45 in Malolos City, Bulacan. Fire victims, including 205 in Taytay, Rizal; 58 in Caloocan City; and 12 families in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan were likewise supported through our efforts. In the same way that our athletes remain unyielding in the face of tough competition, I hope that we can all remain resilient in the face of challenges. Through our support for one another and our unbeatable pusong Pilipino, let us all go for the gold and continue bringing honor to our country and our people. The post Go, go, go for the gold! appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DBM allocates P1.4B for youth jobs generation
The Department of Budget and Management on Monday said it has allocated P1.401 billion to the Department of Labor and Employment which will help provide jobs to the Filipino youth. These include the Government Internship Program, Special Program for Employment of Students and Job Search Assistance. Under the 2023 national budget, DoLE’s Government Internship Program has been allotted P708 million. The program consists of three to six-month internship opportunities for high school, technical-vocational, and college graduates who want to work in the government. It targets some 12,000 beneficiaries. “In our goal of attaining progress and prosperity, we believe that having a healthy, productive, and equipped workforce will play a great role,” DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said. “That’s why President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed us to give prime importance to investing in our labor workforce, especially the youth,” Pangandaman added. To further prepare the beneficiaries as they enter the labor force, DoLE’s Employment Facilitation Program had been given a budget of P769 million. The amount includes P585 million for the Special Program for Employment of Students. This is DoLE’s youth employment-bridging program that provides temporary employment to poor but deserving students, out-of-school youth, and dependents of displaced or would-be displaced workers during summer and Christmas vacation, or any time of the year, to augment the family’s income, and help ensure that beneficiaries can pursue their education. Meanwhile, the agency’s Job Search Assistance program has an allotment of P108 million. For 2023, DOLE has a total budget of P26.89 billion to increase employment opportunities and better equip the country’s labor force. The post DBM allocates P1.4B for youth jobs generation appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
EDITORIAL - Ayuda distribution
First there was the report of P9 billion under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2 that the government failed to utilize as ayuda or assistance to those adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic......»»
& lsquo;P40B Bayanihan funds idle& rsquo;
With almost P40 billion of the funds allotted to address gaps in the country’s COVID-19 response measures still not released, Senator Francis Pangilinan sought Thursday a Senate probe on the snail-paced disbursement and utilization of funds under Bayanihan 2......»»
Speaker proposes P420-billion Bayanihan 3 bill
As early as November, lawmakers had already filed their own versions of 'Bayanihan 3' seeking free vaccination and assistance to the agriculture, health, and education sectors. .....»»
P19B doleout for workers
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has allotted P19 billion in financial assistance to almost 2 million workers and about 500,000 overseas Filipino workers this year......»»
2% Interest Rate Subsidy for LGUs in Bayanihan 2
Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) grants a 2% interest rate subsidy per annum on new and existing loans of Local Government Units (LGUs) to help communities recover from the impact made by the pandemic. This subsidy is part of the provisions of Republic Act No. 11494 or “Bayanihan 2.” LANDBANK has allotted a P1-Billion […].....»»
DBP allots Php10B for sanitation projects
QUEZON CITY, Nov. 30 (PIA) - The Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) allotted an initial Php10 billion credit assistance to local government units, water districts, and private companies unde.....»»
Dole to resume workers’ aid next week
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) will resume next week its emergency assistance program to workers displaced by the pandemic. Labor Undersecretary Benjo Benavidez said they soon expect to receive additional funds allocated by the Bayanihan to Recover as One law allocated P13 billion to the Dole for workers’ assistance. The […] The post Dole to resume workers’ aid next week appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Coconut farmers are poorest agri people
Coconut farmers are now the poorest people in the agriculture sector, much poorer than when they were 30 years ago. This was the assessment of Danny Carranza, a coconut farmer and member the Kilusan Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo at Katarungang Panlipunan (Katarungan). (MB FILE, Keith Bacongco) Carranza blamed the coconut farmers’ poverty on the low copra prices, inability to intercrop and modernize, and now the COVID-19 pandemic, which isolates some of them who are living in far-flung areas. “If you’re going to compare, we are much poorer now than we were back in 1990,” said Carranza. Carranza said the “crisis in coconut” that started in the 1990s was never resolved, but even worsened especially when farmers failed to diversify and intercrop before copra prices, dictated by world prices, crashed in 2019 and in the previous years. “The price of copra is improving, reaching P16/kg from P8/kg last year, but that is still not enough,” Carranza said, adding that farmers’ income from a hectare of coconut plantation does not reach P10,000 anymore. At present, about 95 percent of the 3.5 million hectares of coconut farms in the Philippines are meant to produce copra, which is the material for coconut oil manufacturing. But with the collapse of the prices of coconut oil in the world market over the last two years, prices of copra have also dropped plunging farmers into deeper poverty. According to the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), prices of copra at farmgate as of October 15 stood at P21.86/kg, which is higher compared to P14.55/kg price level during the same day last year. But Carranza said that it normally takes three to four years for coconut farmers to recover when a typhoon hits their plantation because coconut trees don’t recover fast. Several typhoons have devastated coconut trees lately. “Farmers’ income is dictated by world prices, they don’t have enough funds to modernize their industry, and the government has failed to support them in the diversification of their coconut plantations,” Carranza said. “Then things got worse because of climate change. And then, because of lockdown, a lot of farmers who live in far-flung areas were isolated and couldn’t deliver their produce,” he added. In 2018, farmers working in coconut farms only received a daily nominal wage rate of P264, based on Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data. To alleviate the current situation of coconut farmers, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has announced that it will soon distribute a P5,000 worth of assistance to coconut farmers, which will be withdrawn from the agency’s P24-billion stimulus package granted under ‘Bayanihan 2’. The problem, according to Carranza, is that the assistance may only benefit farmers who own 1 hectare of coconut plantations or less. The PCA is also setting aside a portion of its budget to finance on-farm and off-farm livelihood projects for coconut farmers such as intercropping and livestock. Meanwhile, Pambansang Kilusan ng Magbubukid sa Pilipinas (PKMP) Chairman Eduardo Mora said the legal team of Senator Bong Go pledged to help coconut farmers push for provisions that they want to be included in the Coco Levy Act, the proposed law that will pave the way for the release of the P100-billion coco levy fund. “It was the office of Senator Bong Go that informed us that the senate version of Coco Levy Act was already passed in third and final reading. But his legal team also assured to help us in the congress version of the law, in bicameral, and in the drafting of the IRR [implementing rules and regulation] of the law,” Mora told Business Bulletin. Mora’s group, which represents more than a hundred thousand coconut farmers in the country, has been calling for increased farmers’ representation in the planned coconut trust fund management committee. Coconut farmers also don’t want the funds to be handled by PCA, Mora said. Business Bulletin already sought for Agriculture Secretary William Dar’s reaction regarding the farmers’ opposition of the Coco Levy Act, but he hasn’t responded yet. .....»»
DSWD has distributed P83.6 B SAP subsidies
More than P83.6 billion worth of emergency cash subsidies have been disbursed to more than 13.98 family-beneficiaries of the second wave of aid under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP), the Department of Social Welfare and Development reported. The DSWD said as of October 21, 8 p.m., it has distributed over P83. 6 billion SAP 2 funds to around 13, 982, 425 low-income households. The number of served beneficiaries is 98 percent of the 14.3 million low-income households targeted to receive the second wave of subsidies. “Batay sa datos kahapon, ika-21 ng Oktubre, umabot na sa higit P83.6 bilyon ang naipamahagi ng DSWD sa higit 13.98 milyon na pamilyang benepisyaryo ng SAP,” the DSWD said in a Facebook post. (Based on the data yesterday, as of October 21, over P83.6 billion has been distributed by the DSWD to more than 13.98 billion family-beneficiaries of SAP.) The Department assured the public that the manual and digital payouts continue to serve the uncovered beneficiaries numbering to more than 317,000. During the virtual “Laging Handa” briefing, DSWD Undersecretary Rene Glen Paje said they are exhausting all means to ensure that the second tranche distribution of the SAP will be completed within this month, as the agency is readying to implement programs under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or the Bayanihan 2. Among the programs and services that will be implemented by the DSWD under Republic Act No. 11494 or Bayanihan 2 are the emergency subsidy to affected low-income households in areas under “granular lockdowns”; Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS); distribution of food and non-food items; livelihood assistance grants (LAGs), and supplementary feeding program for day-care children. .....»»
DTI Opens P4-B CARES Fund Loan for MSME workers’ 13th Month Pay
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) may borrow from a PHP4 billion Covid-19 Assistance to Restart Enterprises (CARES) fund for their workers’ 13th month pay, according to Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez. The Trade Secretary told reporters through a text message on Tuesday the PHP4 billion for the CARES program is funded by the Bayanihan 2 […].....»»