‘Ayuda breeds dependency’

MANILA, Philippines — The government’s decision to realign infrastructure budget to social aid programs risks politicization and fosters dependency among beneficiaries, former Department of Finance secretary Gary Teves said.

While supporting the reallocation of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ flood control budget, Teves urged the government to channel the funds toward programs that support children and development.

“We disagree with the decision to realign funds to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)’s social aid programs or ayuda. These programs often become politicized at the local level and make people overly dependent on government aid,” he said.

The former finance chief said sufficient learning and health care interventions during a child’s early years are vital to ensuring lifelong cognitive development, improved learning outcomes, and overall well-being.

“Instead of ayuda, we suggest allocating these funds to interventions related to the first 2,000 days of a child such as immunization, supplementary feeding and nutrient programs in schools and communities,” Teves added.

Among those social aid programs that received additional funding is the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations at P32 billion, still lower than what the DSWD requested at P37 billion. Meanwhile, the agency’s Sustainable Livelihood Program received a total of P3 billion.

Teves also recommended reducing allocations for foreign travel expenses, as well as confidential and intelligence funds, by redirecting them to more essential sectors such as tourism and skills development.