Cebu City’s livelihood programs: Nestor wants transparency

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Councilor Nestor Archival Sr. is asking a comprehensive list of the names of beneficiaries of the city government’s livelihood programs to ensure transparency.

Archival said he is dissatisfied with the executive branch’s explanation regarding the process for determining the beneficiaries of the livelihood programs.

In an interview yesterday, Archival emphasized that during the executive session held last week, the department heads clarified that these programs have been ongoing for some time and that they are merely continuing them.

However, he mentioned that he has not received any updates on these projects and requested the list of beneficiaries to verify the success rates of the programs.

“Kay kung way success nganong sigehan man natog panghatag? Just to find ways para makakita tag mga voters? Kay mora’g dole-out ni, mao ni akong pagtan-aw,” Archival remarked.

“Kay sa ako lang ni, ang kanang dole-out wala gyud nay something nga makagawas nga maayo,” he added.

Archival further highlighted that identifying the beneficiaries is a complex process that requires several levels of verification. He revealed that during the distribution, only a form is being used to determine the beneficiaries.

According to him, it has come to their attention that a form containing the name of the incumbent’s political party is being distributed alongside the information forms.

“Naay mga reports nga nakuha namo nga during sa pagpanghatag sa mga livelihood, gikuyog na ang mga information forms sa ilang party,” Archival stated.

He lamented that the incumbent administration should be "ashamed" for implementing such schemes, stressing that these tactics are used to gain political advantage by utilizing government resources.

During the regular session last week, the City Council approved Archival’s resolution, which calls upon the Department of Social Welfare Services (DSWS) to provide the City Council with the list of qualified applicants and beneficiaries of the Self-Employment Assistance Program for 2025.

The resolution also requests historical data on the number of beneficiaries who received financial assistance from the Aid In Crisis Situation Program for the first and second quarters of the 2024 calendar year.

Archival expressed dissatisfaction with how the discussion turned out, as it was revealed that multiple departments, aside from the DSWS, were conducting the distributions, which he noted is not the standard protocol.

“Kay para nako katag kaayo ba, bisan unsa lay mahunahunaan,” Archival said.

He added that he requested the list to verify the beneficiaries and ensure that the assistance is being utilized as intended. He expressed concern that beneficiaries may have been selected based on their political affiliations, thereby emphasizing political engagement over genuine need.

Archival noted that the executive is pushing for an additional allocation for the Livelihood Program Distribution in Supplemental Budget 1, which he finds questionable. He pointed out that the current projects of the Cebu City government primarily focus on dole-out distributions. He suggested that there should be more projects focused on other areas rather than heavily concentrating on dole-out distribution.

Archival emphasized that the city government should prioritize the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) and Cebu City Health, which he noted does not offer tetanus treatment. He further stressed the importance of focusing on hospitalization.

“Ila gyud ning giigo sa election kay para gyud na sa pagpanghatag didto sa mga tawo kay ila gyung gitan-aw nga mobotar gyud nila pag mahatagan,” he said.

He also alleged that they received reports indicating that this financial assistance will be distributed in two phases, with one phase occurring during elections.

“This is a scheme nga pagpang lingla jud,” said Archival.

Archival expressed hope that the practice of gaining advantage through the distribution of dole-outs must be stopped, although he is uncertain about its feasibility. He emphasized that the issue must at least be addressed in the proper forum, as these livelihood programs lack success rates due to insufficient monitoring.

The proposed P635 million Supplemental Budget 1 includes Charter Day bonuses for casual and regular employees, which have been increased from P25,000 to P35,000. Job Order (JO) employees would receive P5,000. The proposal also includes an additional allocation of P140 million for road repairs through asphalting.

The third item in Supplemental Budget 1 is the continuation of the construction of the CCMC, with P210 million allocated. According to Garcia, this amount will be used to complete the 8th, 9th, and 10th floors, which were initially intended to be funded by a donation drive organized through the Cebu Medical Society (CMS).

Another budget included in Supplemental Budget 1 is an additional sum to support the distribution of livelihood programs. Garcia noted that many small-scale vendors still need seed capital for their businesses. He added that he was inspired by the success of the Sinulog 2025 event, where vendors were given a platform and earned income without interference from security forces. — (FREEMAN)