Layunin ng 'Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program' na wakasan ang gutom at mabigyan ng pagkakataong makabili ng masustansyang pagkain ang isang milyong mahihirap na pamilya sa bansa.
Ayon sa Department of Social Welfare and Development, bibigyan ng food credits at hindi pera ang mga benepisyaryo kada buwan. Maaari itong ipambili ng pagkain sa mga accredited na tindahan.
Sinu-sino ang maaaring mapabilang sa programa at ang iba pang detalye tungkol dito, sasagutin ni DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian sa #TheMangahasInterviews.
Ayon sa Department of Social Welfare and Development, bibigyan ng food credits at hindi pera ang mga benepisyaryo kada buwan. Maaari itong ipambili ng pagkain sa mga accredited na tindahan.
Sinu-sino ang maaaring mapabilang sa programa at ang iba pang detalye tungkol dito, sasagutin ni DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian sa #TheMangahasInterviews.
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NewsTranscript
00:00:00 [Music]
00:00:05 Good day to all of you. You are now watching Damanghas Interviews.
00:00:09 We will talk about the new aid or program that the BBM administration wants to pilot.
00:00:17 We will explain and add information from the Social Welfare Department Secretary, Rex Gatchalian.
00:00:25 He also became the Congressman and Mayor of Valenzuela.
00:00:28 Good day Secretary Rex.
00:00:31 Good day to all of you who are watching the program.
00:00:36 Thank you for the opportunity you gave me to interview you.
00:00:40 Alright. Okay.
00:00:41 Tell us about this No Hunger Program.
00:00:44 What is it? No Hunger or No Hunger Program?
00:00:47 No Hunger.
00:00:48 First, this program is a new program of President Bongbong Marcos, our President.
00:00:56 The aim of this is to end hunger in our country.
00:01:00 According to the latest statistics of the Philippine Statistics Authority,
00:01:04 more than one million or less than one million Filipino families are still experiencing hunger.
00:01:10 Can you imagine, these are the families that do not earn more than P8,000 per month.
00:01:17 So for food, it is already insufficient to meet their needs for food.
00:01:23 We are targeting food poor families.
00:01:26 I want to clarify this.
00:01:28 Many people might have high expectations that all the poor people will be included in the program.
00:01:34 If not, we are targeting the poorest of the poor or food poor families.
00:01:39 There are one million Filipinos in this category and this one million Filipino,
00:01:47 this one million Filipino family can receive food credits worth P3,000 per month.
00:01:53 Those P3,000 are divided into three important components.
00:01:57 Fifty percent of that is for carbohydrates.
00:02:00 They can choose from the accredited stores, rice, bread, pancit, or any carbohydrates.
00:02:09 Thirty percent is protein, like pork, beef, fish, and twenty percent is healthy fats or fiber.
00:02:18 So they can choose from the family food groups and they will be given food credits.
00:02:23 They are not necessarily given cash, but food credits.
00:02:27 Food stamps, as they say.
00:02:29 So it means, your explanation when this was first launched,
00:02:34 there is a digital remit that you will be able to send, digital, not cash.
00:02:41 And that credit is like a food stamp that they will bring to the stores and groceries. Is that right?
00:02:47 Correct.
00:02:48 We will accredit the markets, wet markets, the president's offices,
00:02:54 our small groceries, stores.
00:02:57 And when they are accredited, our beneficiaries will go there and they will bring a card, a digital card,
00:03:04 where the food credits will be loaded.
00:03:06 So every month, they will receive P3,000, but that's not cash.
00:03:11 That's food credits.
00:03:12 Cash is important, but only for food,
00:03:16 so we can be sure that what they are using is buying nutritious, delicious, and cheap food.
00:03:23 In return, I said, maybe many people will think that they have another source of income.
00:03:30 We are looking at this, this is not a real aid in the real straight sense.
00:03:35 This is an investment or we are leading the country, our human capital if you will.
00:03:41 We are leading the Philippines because in this time, it's not possible for a family to be hungry.
00:03:48 Imagine, the aim of our government is to raise our country to a high middle-income nation.
00:03:55 Because of that, you will notice that there are many activities to get investment from different countries
00:04:03 and high value or added value jobs.
00:04:07 But if our families, our countrymen are hungry, how will they survive?
00:04:13 We need to have enough nutritional value to partake of the economic growth that's being generated.
00:04:19 So we're ending hunger, but we also want to have a replacement.
00:04:25 What is that?
00:04:26 First, if you include the program, we have what we call a work component.
00:04:30 Because you're not hungry, a member of the family should be involved in nation building through finding a job.
00:04:39 You go to the job fairs of DOLE every month until you find a job.
00:04:45 It's important to have a job so we can start the growth and be productive later in our country.
00:04:53 Second, if you don't go to the job fair, you don't get a job, we partner with TESTA for upskilling.
00:05:01 We need to upskill our countrymen so we can ensure that whatever job they have, they will be happy.
00:05:08 That's the first condition.
00:05:09 The second condition, we have what we call nutrition development sessions.
00:05:13 We have the private sector, the Filipinas contra Gutom.
00:05:17 What is this?
00:05:18 Every month before they have a market day, they are taught, especially pregnant and lactating women,
00:05:24 because I forgot to tell you, aside from our most poor Filipino family,
00:05:31 pregnant and lactating women are also included because stunting or pregnancy is still a big problem.
00:05:37 It happens in the first 1,000 days from the time of pregnancy until two years old more or less.
00:05:43 We want to end this problem.
00:05:46 So pregnant and lactating women are also included, those who are pregnant and breastfeeding.
00:05:52 So going back, the nutrition development sessions, we teach them what is a good and healthy diet
00:06:01 because we want to have a behavioral change or change the way we eat at home.
00:06:09 We want them to learn that it's delicious.
00:06:11 The cheap can be delicious and can be healthy.
00:06:15 Secretary Rex, what is the concept of this?
00:06:19 For example, you have a food stamp.
00:06:21 Your pilot will be launched to 3,000 families.
00:06:27 What is your initial sense of the success rate of this?
00:06:31 For example, you sell your food stamp, for 3,000 pesos, it's worth 100 pesos a day.
00:06:40 It's very expensive to buy now.
00:06:42 There are two things, Malu.
00:06:44 First of all, because this is digital, it has security features.
00:06:47 Like the current card we use has a biometric,
00:06:51 you can use your fingerprint, you can queue in before you use your card.
00:06:57 You can use the card you just pulled, not the one you printed.
00:07:01 So there are security features.
00:07:03 But there is no perfect program.
00:07:05 We know that if you succeed in one program, there is a chance of system loss.
00:07:09 That's why we have a pilot now.
00:07:11 What's good about this program is that Asian Development Bank believes in the World Food Program.
00:07:17 In our Sustainable Development Goal, number two, there should be zero hunger.
00:07:22 So there is no hunger.
00:07:24 They believe in this program, they have long wanted to promote this country.
00:07:30 So now there is a meeting of the minds.
00:07:32 Our pilot will run for six months in five places with 3,000 Filipino families.
00:07:39 Fully funded by a grant from the Asian Development Bank.
00:07:43 They were given 3 million US dollars and the program will run on the World Food Program
00:07:49 based on their experience in food stamps all over the world.
00:07:52 They already have experience in that.
00:07:55 So they will run, we will design and why is there a pilot?
00:07:58 Because sometimes we ask why is it taking so long?
00:08:00 Before we expand or broaden a program, it's very important to study first.
00:08:06 That's why in the pilot, we will see what could be the problem, what are the holes, what will be affected and what will not be affected.
00:08:15 It's hard to suddenly expand a program and in the end, we will say it's wrong.
00:08:20 It's a wasteful spending of the people.
00:08:25 The President should study well even though he believes in it.
00:08:29 I said this program came from the dream of our President.
00:08:33 Remember when he runs, there's a sign outside that his dream is to end hunger.
00:08:38 He said this is right, we should operationalize.
00:08:41 But study well and make sure we see what will be affected and what will not be affected.
00:08:47 That's why our pilot will run for six months.
00:08:50 Secretary Rex, how will you choose?
00:08:52 For example, you are the favorite of Barangay Kapitan, especially the winners in the next election.
00:08:58 Or any mayor, how can you say who is qualified and deserving?
00:09:04 Out of the 1 million families you will find, some may say they are food poor, even though they are not, because they are being spoiled by the local officials.
00:09:15 That's the most common thing I heard even though I'm a mayor.
00:09:20 In fact, even the four-piece, I always talk about it.
00:09:24 Let me clarify, the local officials, mayor, congressman, have nothing to do with identifying beneficiaries of this four-piece or this program.
00:09:35 What we are using here and we will use here is the list.
00:09:38 The list is the national survey run by the DSWD every three years.
00:09:44 We will use the list of three. We will get, it's in our hands.
00:09:48 We will get the one below 1 million Filipinos, based on their per capita, the one million who are the poorest.
00:09:55 We will get that.
00:09:56 Next year, if you can remember, there is a law that we cannot extend the list of new beneficiaries.
00:10:02 This is the last list of three that was launched in 2019.
00:10:06 But there was a law that was released last year, the CBMS or Community Based Monitoring System,
00:10:11 where PSA can help the local authorities more quickly. Take note, help.
00:10:18 They will not do everything, but PSA will do the rest.
00:10:22 This is more accurate.
00:10:25 The notion that the list comes from the politicians, not even our four-piece, the list of beneficiaries comes from the list.
00:10:35 So Malu, do you know why this happens? Because sometimes people will say, "I'm poor, why am I not getting married?"
00:10:41 Our answer is always, there is no perfect list.
00:10:44 That's why all of our programs have grievance, where you can report.
00:10:49 For example, you have a feeling that you are rich, why are you in the four-piece?
00:10:52 Or maybe you are rich, why are you in the food stamp program?
00:10:56 You can appeal that.
00:10:57 Or if you know that in your heart and mind, you should be divided because you are poor in life, you can also appeal.
00:11:03 Our programs always have grievance mechanism.
00:11:07 In the food stamp program, we will get the one million poorest Filipino in the list of three, our list.
00:11:14 We will launch it if you have a feeling that, remember, 2019 is a list.
00:11:21 Even though every year, like this year, we will pass it, but again, you can appeal.
00:11:27 We can protest if there's something wrong. We can have grievance all the time.
00:11:32 And during the COVID-19 period, the livelihood has decreased and it became new and difficult.
00:11:40 And the PSA itself is saying that there are 2.5 million additional poor because of the COVID pandemic.
00:11:48 What do you think about that?
00:11:49 Can they be blamed because they might appeal that before they were just poor, but now they are food poor?
00:11:56 All of that can be appealed. Remember, that's why we, if you watched the news, the budget hearing of the DSWD, we explained that we are repeating the list of three one by one.
00:12:12 Because many are appealing that there are more than 1.4 million families in the list of three that said, yes, we were not poor before, but after COVID, we became poor again.
00:12:23 The face of poverty has changed.
00:12:25 By the way, Malu, come end of the year, the survey, the national survey run by the PSA, the income and expenditure survey, FISE, will be re-enacted.
00:12:40 So by early next year, we will have a new data set. So we can have three.
00:12:45 We can use the list of three and we can appeal to the CBMS and FISE next year.
00:12:50 That's where we can see our food insecure families. Again, Malu, I don't claim that the lists are perfect.
00:12:59 We always try to make the list as perfect as we can. But if there's a gap or a mistake, we can appeal that.
00:13:11 All right. But recently, quick question, the CBMS, the community-based monitoring system, was affected by the hacking of the PSA in part.
00:13:20 Well, I heard about it just like you, but the PSA is assuring us that they have covered the problem and they will make sure that it won't happen again.
00:13:31 But we're barred from doing more lists because the Congress passed a law that we will use that basis for the anti-poverty programs of the government.
00:13:40 That will be our national database, not just for DSWD, but for the various subsidies that will come from the various branches and agencies of the government.
00:13:51 Okay. Is there a place for Filsys? They said it should be economic inclusion. It was established when we got the ID system, but the project is not yet finished and there are many who haven't received the actual card.
00:14:08 Well, our Filsys, our President's order is to maximize the investment in Filsys.
00:14:15 Our program includes AICs or assistance to individuals in crisis situation. You can see that they are going to our office and asking for financial assistance because of deaths,
00:14:25 illness and other crises that families are going through. We are trying to integrate all of that in Filsys, but it's a waste.
00:14:32 So if you have Filsys ID, that's the stepping stone stage. We are integrating it not only for the food stamps program, but for all programs of DSWD.
00:14:42 It may take some time, but we are already starting.
00:14:45 Secretary Rex, it seems like you have more programs to help. There's Kalahi Seeds, there's 4Ps, now there's Walang Butom, Assistance to People in Crisis, there's PWDs for seniors.
00:15:03 What is the overlap? Maybe it's redundant or you are serving families again and again.
00:15:11 We should look at it because our department has two names. In fact, you called me earlier, Department of Social Welfare. You forgot the development side.
00:15:22 Admittedly, because of the hard life of the last three years due to COVID, social welfare is the only thing that is being implemented.
00:15:29 When we talk about social welfare, it's continuous. All countries should have it.
00:15:34 Because there are individuals who are not expected to be affected and they need assistance from the government. That's our AICS program or Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation.
00:15:44 But when it comes to the development side, that's where I will categorize the 4Ps, our food stamps program.
00:15:52 Because this is a lead, I don't see it as assistance, but I see it as a lead to the Filipino families.
00:16:02 Because the 4Ps for instance, the goal is to keep the children in school, early childhood education and early health intervention in health centers,
00:16:14 so we can ensure that poverty or intergenerational poverty will not be included.
00:16:20 But it's not a hunger alleviation program. Walang Butom is a hunger alleviation program.
00:16:27 They are complementary. They are both leading the Filipino families. We want our Filipino families to be able to contribute to the economy someday.
00:16:36 Because that's what's happening now. The President is transforming our economy. We heard that there are jobs.
00:16:43 So it's important that the jobs that will be created by the new economy will be contributed by the Filipino families.
00:16:50 We cannot ignore the fact that sometimes because of the poverty, we need to push a little.
00:16:59 These are the things that are leading the poor Filipino families. Education, health, and finally hunger.
00:17:09 We need to be able to participate in meaningful nation building so they can join the development of the new Philippines, the new economy.
00:17:21 They should not be uneducated. They should be educated, educated, not hungry, and at the same time, they should have the need for health intervention.
00:17:34 These are the things that I call development more than social welfare. But of course, that's a debate. People will argue with me.
00:17:42 But we, I always say that the 4Ps and the food stamps program is a development program.
00:17:49 When the time comes that our fellow Filipinos no longer need it because they are educated and they no longer have to go through poverty, then we can stop these programs.
00:17:57 But for now, we know that we still need to be able to contribute to our Filipino families.
00:18:02 Secretary Rex, let's talk about sustainability. There is a grant for the pilot, the Asian Development Bank, and there is a budget allocated because the President has an executive order.
00:18:13 But moving forward, until 2027, what is the funding obligation or funding requirement for this program every year?
00:18:23 Well, we will slowly increase it. After six months, after the pilot, the pilot will be successful, the first round will be 300,000 families and then another 300,000 until we reach one million families.
00:18:37 For every 300,000 Filipino families that are food poor, we will need around P12 billion.
00:18:44 Right now, the government is still studying where to get this. But the economic managers said that as long as the pilot's results are good,
00:18:53 they saw that there is an impact, it helped, the pilot's hunger was satisfied, even if it's just families.
00:19:00 They will decide to find a way to fund this program. Initially, it has P2 billion in general appropriations when it passed, but we will still need P10 billion more.
00:19:13 I know that if the results are good, it's important because it's hard to fight a program if we haven't proven it.
00:19:22 If we don't have the capability to fight it, we believe that if the results are good, we can justify that we need to fund this program.
00:19:33 So pilot, many people are asking, it's been a long time since the pilot, but all programs like the four-piece or four-piston, it's really going through a thorough study.
00:19:44 Okay. What are the good results you said? What are the indicators of performance? What will you show in the end that the program is good?
00:19:55 Well, for our poor Filipino families, the food poor, they don't feel hungry anymore. The food insecurity should be gone.
00:20:05 You know, we have a partner here, the private sector before COVID-19. Private sector companies like Globe, that's their advocacy, their corporate social responsibility.
00:20:16 They helped us to tap the social weather station, SWS, to make an impact assessment with the ADB to measure.
00:20:28 Now we are baselining. So we can see the food insecurity. I don't know if you remember, SWS releases self-rated hunger quarterly.
00:20:40 It's good that we have historic data from SWS. That's why we went and sought SWS, so we can see that our impact assessment has continuity.
00:20:49 So the basic premise is the insecurity. The questions are, have you slept hungry in the past 30 days? Have you eaten properly?
00:20:59 The survey will be self-rated but it has indicators. Number two, even though six months is short, because we have pregnant and lactating women,
00:21:10 there are physical measurements for pregnant and lactating women and the DOH gave us the metrics already.
00:21:17 But of course, it's impossible that after six months, you will see massive or drastic improvement because we know we're fighting stunting.
00:21:26 It will take some time. But they are calling for assumptions where you can see the diversification or the expansion of the food intake of a family,
00:21:36 especially of a pregnant and lactating woman. You can ascertain that if she continues that program in two to three years,
00:21:43 this is how much she will gain and her child will gain. Six months is just a glimpse but it cannot be long.
00:21:51 So those are the indicators. The good thing here is we partnered with the private sector. You know the private sector is all about impact.
00:21:58 This is not a type of thing that you can do whatever you want. So that's why they believe in it also so that we can once and for all end hunger or once and for all, we can end hunger.
00:22:07 Okay. Now if it's a SWS survey, it's actually a perception. They will say that they are not experiencing hunger but our future inflation is crying.
00:22:18 On the other hand, those are just concepts and experiences. Second, you're saying that the DOH has metrics to know if the mother's health and the children's health are improving.
00:22:31 Does that mean you have a monitoring and evaluation team that will go down? That's a big expense. Or the network of workers that you need to monitor results.
00:22:42 Yes. There are. The pilot is only P3,000. That's included in the grant that was given to us. A big chunk of that is actually in MNE or monitoring and evaluation.
00:22:52 That's included in the grant. You need to do that to prove that it's self-rated. Yes, true. But that's how it is. You have to make sure that the person feels that way.
00:23:05 Even the poverty indicator that is always highlighted in the data, that's self-rated. But of course, in crafting the questionnaire, we have experts like part of our consultant crew,
00:23:18 Professor Ruel Briones, who's a known statistician and poverty and hunger expert. We also consult with Usec Dennis Mapa of PSA.
00:23:30 He's also known as an anti-poverty economist. We also have Secretary Barizacan, who is a known poverty expert.
00:23:43 So the graph or the impact assessment and monitoring and evaluation is not only based on SWS, but there are experts from academia and government who's coaching us
00:23:57 on what to look out for and what we should look for to say that our program is successful.
00:24:02 All right. I know you and your brother, Senator Win, are always planning. But is there a person who's DSWD to do this?
00:24:17 In the Senate hearing, you said that your plan of permanent employees is small. Where are your job orders and contractual of employees?
00:24:29 How is that? Because sustainability could also depend on the continuity of manpower or personnel who will monitor.
00:24:37 Malu sadly, that's the reality we're dealt with. We are continuously consulting with the Department of Budget Management to increase and regularize our employees.
00:24:47 But we cannot stop. Malu I have to be honest with you also and tell you what I see inside the department. Sometimes it's not just money.
00:24:56 I have seen that there are so many employees in DSWD that it's about love for country. We have a lot of social workers, psychologists, development workers who's been in the department for as old as I am
00:25:11 or even older than I am because this is an old department, who's there even if their contract of service is still there just because they love the country and they're passionate about what they do.
00:25:22 So while we continue, we are fighting for job security of our employees. I will not stop there. That's my advocacy.
00:25:32 I hope we can get it. But I understand the situation of the Department of Budget Management. We have tight fiscal spending because all of our departments are asking for different expenses.
00:25:45 We will continue to fight for job security of our employees by asking for more plantelia position. But we will not stop the programs because as I said,
00:25:55 in an inclusive country, like our president, he ran with a mantra, unity. Unity. But unity translates to different things.
00:26:12 Unity is also about inclusion, inclusivity. The economy is flourishing, jobs are flourishing, yet if there are one million Filipinos, they will be left behind and they cannot partake in the flourishing economy.
00:26:27 That's why that's part of the mantra of our president, inclusivity. In the new Philippines, we need inclusivity. I have many colleagues in the government who are still there even if their contract of service is still there,
00:26:42 just to ensure the nation-building or the strengthening of a united, inclusive country will happen.
00:26:52 Secretary Rex, what is the ratio of permanent versus contract of service? One is to ten? Two thousand?
00:26:58 Your permanent is almost 20,000 or 10,000 plus.
00:27:03 No, no.
00:27:05 What is the number?
00:27:06 It's around almost 35% of our employees are regular. You're talking about the social workers.
00:27:15 We have other employees, our accountants. If I'm not mistaken, Malu, in the data I have, it's around 35 to 40% are regular employees, but the job order is still a big percentage.
00:27:32 65%.
00:27:33 Contract of service, contractual or casual? Because remember, only those who will pay attention are the contract of service. But let's look at contractual and casual.
00:27:45 Even if they have benefits, they are not regular employees. So that's included in the pool we're studying.
00:27:53 If you look at the government, you are the ones providing assistance and help in development projects. The barangay and LGUs are also providing.
00:28:03 Shouldn't they be the ones who are helping? Because if you look at our barangay, there are also a lot of services being distributed during COVID pandemic.
00:28:18 Our LGUs also have social welfare projects or development projects.
00:28:24 It's like the government is getting bigger or there are a lot of overlap.
00:28:29 Then we talked about right-sizing in the early part of BBM admin. It's like it's getting bigger, not getting smaller or right-sized. It's still wrong-sized.
00:28:39 Malulut, two things. First of all, I'm a mayor. I'm very passionate about what you are asking right now. I spent a good part of my life in the local government unit.
00:28:48 I came from a city that is in the top 20 when it comes to income. But how many LGUs are not era-dependent?
00:28:57 There are still a lot of era-dependent local government units. So in Valenzuela, 70% locally generated income, 30% is not.
00:29:05 But even if we are big, it's never enough. We know that our population is growing, social welfare is never enough.
00:29:13 I will give you an example. In our BSWD, do you know the assistance to individuals in crisis situation?
00:29:20 There are some collatelia. First, if it's medical, there are limits on what you can get up to P10,000.
00:29:27 You have to wait for three months before you can ask for more. The reason being we want more people to help us.
00:29:34 But with the money and the expensive price of hospitals, we know that it's not enough.
00:29:41 I saw that when I was a mayor, that the assistance, national government and local government, they're not overlapping but rather complementary in nature.
00:29:50 Meaning the financial assistance, if you combine it with PCSO, GOCC, PAGCOR, BSWD, and local government, it's not enough.
00:30:07 On an average, how much is the cost of hospitalization now? There is philhealth but we know that the PF is also big and when you go home, you have to buy different things to go home.
00:30:19 So I'm not looking at it as overlap but rather complementary. We still lack to fulfill.
00:30:28 There are always surveys that show that they are in favor of the quality of the financial assistance provided by the DSWD.
00:30:35 They are thankful for the surveys but they know that it's not enough.
00:30:40 I'll give you an example. The year is almost over and we still need to fund a lot of social welfare programs because people get sick.
00:30:51 There are crises that are not being handled, like calamities, like the recent Habagat, Falcon, Goreng.
00:30:59 Before, it's not difficult, they don't ask for help. But when a storm hits, social welfare should be included through our emergency cash transfers.
00:31:10 But I've dealt with so many local government units and they're also poor.
00:31:16 We should remember that their budget is the two years of the COVID collection years because minus two years is the delay when you do government accounting.
00:31:27 The budget, the era competition now are the COVID years.
00:31:31 So even though we have the Mandanas ruling that the income of LGUs is increasing, that's not happening because we're using COVID year collections.
00:31:41 The population is growing. Malui keeps on getting bigger and bigger. We're one of the fastest growing populations out there.
00:31:49 The former small LGUs, they're trying to keep up. So it's not enough. I think we should leave it to local government units.
00:31:56 The definition of rightsizing, Malu, is not to reduce the number of people, but to include them in the service and the number of people you serve.
00:32:05 Many people say rightsizing is to reduce the number of people. That's not necessary.
00:32:10 The definition of rightsizing is to include and include the number of workers in the nature of the work.
00:32:17 So we have to look at it as streamlining, to include and include. But the population is growing. We know that.
00:32:28 That's why I said in our budget hearing, we're one of the larger bureaucracies. We have 34,000 employees that dispense us with different social welfare and development programs day in and day out.
00:32:41 And it's not enough, like you pointed out earlier. I'm worried about sustainability because our people don't have job security.
00:32:48 And I admit, 34,000 seems a lot but for the large population, it's still not enough.
00:32:55 Okay. Secretary Rex, usually when you have a program, your standing programs or continuity assured, but if there's calamity, as you mentioned,
00:33:04 or if there's a price control for rice and you need to distribute aid, you're always the one who's being pushed to do additional work.
00:33:13 Explain to me, how does it affect those emergency aid packages? Because you have a regular stream and suddenly there's an additional or a full program.
00:33:24 Well, the DSWD budget source is also multiple. That means when we're changing the budget, there are different kinds of accounts.
00:33:32 For instance, when there's a disaster, we use a quick response fund when there's a state of calamity.
00:33:38 The fund source comes from the disaster fund of the government. We have a regularly programmed assistance to individuals in crisis situations.
00:33:46 That's a line item in the general appropriation. So God's mercy, it's a match because we have different fund sources from the government that we can tap into for the different nature of the problem.
00:34:01 So when there's a disaster, we get it from the quick response fund allocation of the DSWD. When it comes to AICs, assistance to individuals in crisis situations,
00:34:12 that's a line item in the general appropriation. Third, the four-piece, it has its own entrance. That's P100 billion or P110 billion of our budget, 50 percent of our budget.
00:34:23 That's next to it. It's not a part of a whole. That's also a line item. And then the food stamps, hopefully when it's transferred, it will have its own fund source.
00:34:33 So it may seem a lot. You're right, there are a lot. But it's a match because different fund sources are being collected or being used.
00:34:43 It's based on the law. In disaster, the NDRRMC law, the NDRRC law, it states why the National Government allocated one percent of its budget for disaster preparedness.
00:35:01 Okay. All right. Secretary Rex, our problem is, for example, different funds.
00:35:07 One fund is for different funds.
00:35:09 One fund is for different funds. Are the people in charge different? How can you make sure that the people in charge are the same in the different funds?
00:35:21 Well first, different people in the sense that we have undersecretaries. We have ten undersecretaries. I was asked during the budget season why there are so many.
00:35:31 I answered that we have a lot of programs. Eleven are in our books, but we have ten and I'm the eleventh.
00:35:37 So I'm the one who is in charge of the ten undersecretaries. They have their own specialty.
00:35:43 We have an undersecretary that is focused on our disaster response management group. We also have an undersecretary that is only for four-piece because it's P100 billion.
00:35:53 So there should be a division. So on and so forth. We have specified clusters, heads, undersecretaries that are dividing the program.
00:36:02 You might ask, "Maybe the people in charge are the same." We have a delineation for that. That's why I mentioned earlier that there is a system, the DSWD, it's an automated system that every three months you can only reach for assistance to individuals in crisis situations.
00:36:17 It may be recs again, but it will be three months first. We will be in the cold for three months. For those three months, we will be able to give something.
00:36:25 When it comes to disaster, it's mutually exclusive. You can get financial assistance from your AICS, but you can get financial assistance for the flood victims.
00:36:38 But how do we use the emergency cash transfer? There should be a declaration of state of calamity.
00:36:44 It means that your area should declare a state of calamity before there is a new financial assistance for the flood victims and natural calamities.
00:36:54 Okay. Now let's look at the issue of... They said that sometimes the relief packages from the DSWD are old. Maybe it's inevitable because you have a standby supply.
00:37:07 What is it? Are there syndicates that are collecting applicants or beneficiaries and there are contacts inside the DSWD?
00:37:20 First, I have to dispel that because our inventory management is very strict. There are a lot of calamities happening every day.
00:37:31 We are not the only ones who are reporting that there are fires here and small floods here. It's really happening. It's moving.
00:37:40 We are managing it well based on how we procure. We are extending the expiry date. We are buying the long-term goods for at least one year before it is destroyed.
00:37:53 So I assure you that the department is trying its best or doing its best in terms of procuring long shelf life products.
00:38:01 Second, I know you're saying that they are complaining about the quality of the tuna, for instance, this summer.
00:38:12 You know Malut, sadly in our procurement law, when we open bid, it's a competitive bidding, if the brand that won is cheaper, there's no choice but to buy it.
00:38:22 That's why you heard that the cheapest is not always the best. But I am repassing the Congress' procurement law, especially in terms of food.
00:38:34 We know that we don't want our victims of calamities to feel that they are victims and they are victims again.
00:38:42 It's not substandard if the quality of the product you buy is not off the shelf. I admit that because our hands are tied in the procurement law,
00:38:55 this is the lowest bidder wins all the time. It's not because it's cheap, it's delicious. Earlier, I talked about cheap, delicious and nutritious.
00:39:06 That's canned goods. You will buy it. You will choose it for your family in the food stamps. But this is canned goods.
00:39:12 So between a branded canned goods and a cheaper canned goods, you know what that means.
00:39:17 If you open the can, you can eat it, it's safe, it has FDA. But the quality and texture is not the only thing.
00:39:27 Yes. But the tuna, we dispelled that. The FDA came up with its report that it's not the expired product that's bad, but the tuna is rubbery because they used more extender.
00:39:41 That's how it is when it's cheaper compared to the high value or high price canned goods. Number two, the syndicates are the ones who are choosing.
00:39:49 That's why your question about coordination in local government units came up. Remember, if there's calamity, the first responder is the local government unit.
00:39:58 We are just an augmentation. That's why we need to coordinate all our aid to the LGU so they won't give it, but we can still give it.
00:40:07 I will give you an example. In Mayon, Volcano and Mindoro, the last few months, the aid was distributed monthly.
00:40:14 We did not distribute it by ourselves because we don't have that many people on the ground to do that. We're talking about thousands stretched for four months.
00:40:23 In Mindoro, two months or three months. In Mayon, it's four months. Every 15 days, they are distributing.
00:40:28 So what we're doing is we work with the LGU. They are certifying the lists based on their social welfare officer.
00:40:34 We coordinate. Like in Mayon, it's four months. For every 15 days, DSWD will distribute food. We will pass it to them.
00:40:43 After that, they will distribute food using their resources. They will do it for five days. Then we will do it for 15 days.
00:40:50 So we can extend and the recipients won't double. It's hard for DSWD to give to Person X and then to the LGU.
00:40:59 So it's a coordinated effort. You know Malu, the president always tells us when there's calamity, Rex you're the mayor.
00:41:07 You have to coordinate with the local government unit, putting in the safety nets, making sure that it won't double.
00:41:14 I'm a firm believer that we empower local government units because I experienced that as a mayor.
00:41:19 It's hard to work if you're not talked to by the national government.
00:41:23 Now let's look at the beneficiaries. If we move the Walang Butong program forward, we have poorest municipalities in our country.
00:41:33 But they are in remote areas and it's hard to reach them. We also have poorest sectors, farmers and fisherfolk, women and children.
00:41:44 Are they included in the efforts that you will try to reach? Our poorest municipalities are included.
00:41:53 In BARM, Maguindanao is a pilot area. Mindoro provinces are included. I don't know how you would design it from 3,000 to 300,000.
00:42:06 Malu we don't look at it geographically. Remember we're going to use listahanan which is spread across as households, as families.
00:42:13 So it doesn't matter where you are, as long as you reach the income threshold below P8,000 or the one million poorest per capita in listahanan,
00:42:24 then you will be included wherever you are. Why did we choose five pilot sites?
00:42:28 Because we know that the incidence of poverty is higher in the sixth class, fifth class, fourth class, fourth, fifth class and sixth class municipalities.
00:42:38 The incidence of poverty and stunting is higher there, hunger and poverty. So it will happen there.
00:42:46 So many studies have said the farther you are from the city centers, the poorer the people become.
00:42:52 That's why we chose BARM because it's a typhoon area. They're always hit by a disaster.
00:43:01 Gertzi Torena at the end of Camarines Sur. We have one municipality that slips my mind now in Isabela, it's in the eastern seaboard.
00:43:09 Tondo, which is the urban poor. We know that's where we will find our beneficiaries. So we want to make sure in our design,
00:43:18 we include them in their area. Naturally, different areas and different situations.
00:43:22 So in Tondo, the retail centers are accessible, but the groceries, MSMEs, but when we talk about Gertzi Torena,
00:43:32 we might use a different modality, pop-up wet markets or Kadiwa ng mga Pangulo.
00:43:37 In Isabela, their agri-co-op is strong. We will tap into their network.
00:43:42 So we're trying different cases so that we can see different outcomes, same outcomes with different modalities.
00:43:49 So we used different retail areas.
00:43:54 So your point is your modeling, different approaches, connecting beneficiaries to the market or sources.
00:44:03 They said in the cities, you've chosen Manila, but we have many cities, city centers.
00:44:10 City is second or first class city. But the poverty incidence is not high, but the pockets of poverty within the city,
00:44:20 the urban poverty, the urban poor, they say informal settlers, is higher than rural poor. How is that?
00:44:27 Remember Maluy, the listahanan, it's a saturation survey. It has names and faces.
00:44:36 Whenever they do listahanan, I keep on saying they because when the listahanan happened in 2019, it was not yet there.
00:44:43 But it's not yet there.
00:44:45 The model there is pockets of poverty in highly urbanized centers, highly urbanized cities and then saturation in the rural areas.
00:44:53 So I'd like to think that they spread it out and surveyed it well, our surveyors at that time.
00:45:01 We've been revisiting them, revalidating them using our own social welfare case management indicators.
00:45:10 Our city link and municipal link are moving to validate 1.4 million of those families who said,
00:45:16 look we're still poor, why are you leaving us?
00:45:19 So we repeated the process by making sure that we know the level of their livelihood.
00:45:25 Because there are three levels, in the poor, there's level one, their survival mode, level two, the subsistence,
00:45:32 level three, their economic independence.
00:45:35 So we repeated it to make sure that the listahanan is clean.
00:45:41 Even up to now, we're doing a cleanup again as a not as a one-shot incident.
00:45:47 We're cleaning the listahanan not just once a year, but we're continuously cleaning it because their unknown of their lives are changing.
00:45:53 That's why we have a case management tool, the SWIDI, if you will call it,
00:45:57 a social welfare indicator survey that is being run by our city link and municipal link all over the country.
00:46:03 Okay. Secretary Rex, the unique thing about your food program, Walang Guto, food stamp, is that the mode you want is entirely digital.
00:46:16 So it's hard, we assume that they have phones, cell phones, or smartphones, or e-wallet that they can receive.
00:46:26 Or you said there's a card, but even then, there are different modes.
00:46:32 Some of them you will transfer to e-wallet and show there.
00:46:36 No, no. Maloo, the card is the e-wallet.
00:46:39 The card is the e-wallet, but could you produce that and distribute to all 300,000, eventually 1 million?
00:46:45 Yes, Maloo. Yes. Because you can imagine, in 4P4.4, we have case managers for all of them.
00:46:51 So that's the same model. But we're going to use different modalities even during the pilot.
00:46:56 Some have a card, some have a QR code through an app.
00:47:00 That's why there's a pilot and we're working with the different private sector groups.
00:47:04 Development Bank of the Philippines has their own app right now running for the Department of Agriculture for agriculture subsidies.
00:47:10 We have a talk with GCash and Paymaya. We will explore all of that, including different modalities in different places.
00:47:18 But the main line here is we don't want to do it manually with a coupon because it's tedious, it's prone to fraud.
00:47:25 Why digital? This is a form of anticipatory action. What is anticipatory action?
00:47:31 Remember when COVID-19 hit, we were all in panic. How can we provide assistance to so many Filipinos, that's why it happened manually.
00:47:38 Let's say the one million Filipino food poor families have digital cards.
00:47:43 If we know that a person is in danger or a storm is coming, and it's a big storm,
00:47:47 we know that the first one to get hungry is the one who is already hungry even if there's no storm.
00:47:50 So we can tell the members, we're already loaded. You decide for your family. You go to your grocery. Buy already.
00:47:56 Because one of the things that presidents always say is, Rex, your food box is typical.
00:48:01 Not all the needs of a family are there. It can be a means to overcome.
00:48:05 But can you imagine Malu, one million Filipino food poor families nationwide, they have one way or another digital format,
00:48:12 whether through the cards or through a QR code or through an app, through GCash, through Paymaya.
00:48:18 We're talking to all of them.
00:48:20 There's a storm coming. 14 days out, we can load their cards and say, buy food for your family.
00:48:28 It's a form of anticipatory action. That's one of the benefits of this, the expansion of the program.
00:48:34 Okay. It sounds and looks like a very well thought out program.
00:48:39 But even then, you said there's no perfect list, no perfect program.
00:48:43 What are the pitfalls? Where can they go? What can they do?
00:48:48 For example, peacing or digital security. Can there be a problem there?
00:48:53 Or maybe they can pass or you can say there's a biometrics, but they can also surrender or sell their cards.
00:49:03 What are the pitfalls?
00:49:06 Malu, can you come back after six months?
00:49:09 Of course, you have a big analysis.
00:49:12 The pilot will tell us where the holes are.
00:49:15 Okay.
00:49:16 But one thing for sure though, there are a lot of private sector partners that are helping.
00:49:21 The Boston Consulting Group, which is one of the biggest business process consulting groups, is giving us pro bono services in risk management.
00:49:30 So it's free service. They just approached us because they said part of their CSR is to the brainpower that they put in.
00:49:38 So they've identified potential risks and we will try to determine those risks in the pilot.
00:49:44 That's why there's a pilot. Come back after six months so I can report to you, I can clarify to you what the program is looking for.
00:49:51 Okay. It's not like we're forgiving the intention to help these private companies and groups.
00:49:59 But of course, you said corporate social responsibility.
00:50:02 But are they also in it for the business side of it?
00:50:05 Because if you're the one who's designated as the source of carbohydrates, protein, etc.
00:50:13 These are all, you're talking about distributors or dealers or manufacturers.
00:50:19 The main priority in our report to the President will be our wet markets and our agri-coops.
00:50:27 We're fighting from table to table with the President's colleagues.
00:50:31 We're integrating with the Department of Agriculture. That's one.
00:50:34 And we will re-accredit as many retailers as possible.
00:50:38 In the model we studied in Mongolia, the success of the program is not just the program itself, but the retail network.
00:50:46 That's what they called MSMP. So that's what we want to implement.
00:50:50 Second, in fighting poverty, hunger, and other social ills in the country, it's not just the government.
00:50:59 We need to be convinced that we use a whole of government approach or a whole of nation approach.
00:51:03 And like you said, we need to do the expertise of the private sector.
00:51:08 We're using the expertise of the private sector.
00:51:11 There's no monopoly on the right answer.
00:51:13 We need to know how to admit that we don't know the right answer to everything.
00:51:17 And we're admitting that we need the private sector's help because it's a big task.
00:51:21 This is a big battle to end hunger.
00:51:24 I hope by 2027, there will be no hunger.
00:51:27 But to do that, every Filipino needs to be hooked on this program.
00:51:31 You contribute in your own way.
00:51:33 Okay. You said this is not a social welfare project or program.
00:51:37 This is a development program.
00:51:39 What do you want to see happen?
00:51:41 You're building norms, you're building patterns of life, you're building standards of nutrition.
00:51:46 But can you really do that with your limited time and resources available?
00:51:52 12 billion pesos a year?
00:51:54 Three things.
00:51:56 One, 12 billion a year at 300,000.
00:51:59 Correct.
00:52:00 That's graduated.
00:52:01 So if it becomes 624,000 until 40 billion.
00:52:04 Three things.
00:52:05 One, we want to achieve behavioral change.
00:52:08 And there are many studies that say that when a person sees that it's good for him, he learns over time.
00:52:15 For example, we know that our countrymen have bad eating habits.
00:52:20 So if you teach them to eat carbohydrates, the right food group,
00:52:24 because that food basket came from the FNRI, the Food and Nutrition Research Institute.
00:52:29 In the end, when they realize that they've grown because of carbohydrates,
00:52:34 they have energy.
00:52:36 3,000 is not enough.
00:52:38 They have a different income that they should use to buy the right food.
00:52:43 So we're developing habits.
00:52:45 In Japan, at an early age, they teach kids how to eat right.
00:52:49 And to avoid diseases later on in life, we have to change the eating pattern of our countrymen.
00:52:57 Second, what do we want to see there?
00:53:00 That they can participate in nation building.
00:53:03 That's the second aspect, the work component.
00:53:05 We have to make sure that they have energy to go out and work.
00:53:11 So upskilling. That's why we partnered with TESDA.
00:53:13 Our poor countrymen work hard.
00:53:15 They work doubly hard.
00:53:17 But they may not have the right skills anymore for the jobs being developed by our economy.
00:53:22 So what we want to see is,
00:53:24 1, the opening of their appetite through behavioral change.
00:53:27 2, we want to make sure that they become part of our economy,
00:53:31 and become productive Filipinos.
00:53:34 3, they have enough knowledge and skills to develop the new economy of the Philippines.
00:53:42 It sounds like a mitigation program.
00:53:45 Because it's like a kind of punishment.
00:53:48 Hunger.
00:53:50 But in public opinion polls, there are three issues that people are saying.
00:53:55 It's not demanding, but it's real life.
00:53:59 Inflation, high price of goods, jobs,
00:54:04 and they say that they need to have additional help for their livelihood.
00:54:11 Government, health, and maybe we'll add to that, housing.
00:54:16 If we combine all of these,
00:54:18 in reality, those are the development programs that we're saying,
00:54:22 that the government should be able to provide.
00:54:25 It's all about hunger.
00:54:27 I'm the only one you're talking to.
00:54:30 But remember, Deputy Secretary Jerry Acuzar has a housing program.
00:54:35 Secretary Herbosa is launching a program for the poor,
00:54:41 including the creation of PhilHealth, their e-consulta.
00:54:46 Our economic team is doing things to have a higher income,
00:54:50 including the dollar, for our countrymen.
00:54:53 That's the only thing you're talking to.
00:54:55 If you talk to all of us, you'll see the bigger picture.
00:54:58 Also, inflation.
00:55:00 We know that if the price of goods rises, who's the first one to get hit?
00:55:03 Our clients in DSWB are the ones who are the most vulnerable.
00:55:06 This program is a shield also.
00:55:08 If the price of goods rises,
00:55:10 at least they still have food to buy for their livelihood.
00:55:14 Part of the pilot is to study the effects of inflation.
00:55:18 We are working on indexing it,
00:55:21 so that if there's another shock, this program will not be neglected.
00:55:26 Okay.
00:55:27 Apparently, you know your program very well.
00:55:30 It's just that it's a bit different because our departments have different goals.
00:55:36 But nobody is hearing the full package.
00:55:38 It's like you're telling a story separately.
00:55:42 Quite the contrary.
00:55:44 We're the ones who are storytelling in the State of Nation Address.
00:55:48 The President is the one who is telling the story.
00:55:52 Let's look back at his last State of Nation Address.
00:55:55 He told the President's family that their goal is to have 1 million homes.
00:56:05 Then, the President told them about our fight against stunting
00:56:09 through our nutrition continuity programs, the feeding programs.
00:56:12 He told them about food stamps.
00:56:14 He told them about the lack of jobs.
00:56:16 Sometimes, we would rather...
00:56:20 How do I put this?
00:56:21 We have a bad habit, maybe.
00:56:24 We pay attention to the happy stories, the telenovelas,
00:56:29 but we don't want to watch the news.
00:56:31 I always say that the President told this story during the State of Nation Address.
00:56:36 He will tell the story and the outcome next year.
00:56:40 It's a yearly event.
00:56:41 To tell the President what happened to the programs.
00:56:44 All right.
00:56:45 But maybe, with all due respect, the problem is sometimes,
00:56:49 the good news delivery of the government is being broadcasted.
00:56:54 Like for optics, Kadiwa, 20-peso rise, and so on.
00:56:58 Then, the house price, although the low-cost housing has been increased,
00:57:02 the floor price, which might not be afforded by the poor.
00:57:06 But the economic team, maybe because their problem is very big,
00:57:13 like inflation, oil prices, tax reforms, etc.
00:57:18 Nobody talks about the welfare of the Filipino as a complete package from the different departments.
00:57:24 Although the President said it's a SONA,
00:57:26 but maybe it bears repeating because the delivery of the government is separate.
00:57:30 I have a question.
00:57:31 We should ask ourselves.
00:57:33 Is it that nobody is talking about it or we don't plan the news because it's not as...
00:57:38 How do I put it?
00:57:39 It doesn't get the airtime it deserves because there are more sensationalized things that lands the papers.
00:57:45 That's a question I pose to you.
00:57:47 Is it the lack of us talking or is it the lack of airspace that we get sometimes?
00:57:53 Or not us, but the story, the story itself.
00:57:56 Malou, if you do a fact check on the food stamps and the other social welfare programs,
00:58:01 I've been going on about it over and over again.
00:58:05 Yes, from your end.
00:58:07 I'm not sure if it lands the outfits because maybe there are other pressing matters that lands the news.
00:58:15 So again, I pose you this question rather than you asking me the question.
00:58:19 Is it the lack of us talking or is it the lack of space that we get for our programs in the regular or social media space?
00:58:27 Maybe both.
00:58:28 But on the first point, there are a lot of controversial issues,
00:58:32 like the confidential funds, the problems of the police that are being arrested.
00:58:38 I'll answer that Malou.
00:58:39 That's why I spent an hour now with you because I was excited that I have airtime to talk about this program.
00:58:46 Actually, we're so lucky that...
00:58:48 I'm not tired of accepting the programs of our President and the Administration of Marcos
00:58:56 to fight poverty and hunger.
00:58:59 That's on me because the department is all about ending poverty and ending hunger.
00:59:05 I think so.
00:59:06 It's clear to you and it seems like you're well-versed in all of your programs.
00:59:10 I hope that's how you explain it.
00:59:13 And maybe people should listen more when you deliver the package of programs for the poor
00:59:18 rather than what's in the midst of all the controversies.
00:59:22 On that note, after six months, we'll meet again, Larry Rex,
00:59:27 and we'll look at the pilot's results and what can be the movement forward of this program, Walang Gutong.
00:59:34 And I promise you Malou that we will make the terminal report public.
00:59:38 The ADB and SWS of the terminal report will be released even though it's a grant.
00:59:43 We didn't use any taxes.
00:59:46 But we owe you, the public, and our friends in media the results of the pilot.
00:59:52 I'm keeping my hands crossed that the effect is good.
00:59:55 I'll also be very honest with you in telling you where the negatives are or the risks you're asking about.
01:00:02 And we'll tell you, hopefully, it won't move because that's what a pilot is for,
01:00:08 not the program that's being run by those who are not studying.
01:00:11 What about the six months? When will it end?
01:00:14 The month to month six?
01:00:16 Because the money from the ADB is just arriving.
01:00:19 Even though we're doing pre-work now, identifying beneficiaries,
01:00:23 we're doing the ceremonial kickoff,
01:00:25 by the end of November, their money will arrive.
01:00:28 I'm pestering them, but Malou I hope you understand,
01:00:31 it's a grant so I'm already putting on a thick face.
01:00:34 I'm already pestering them to hurry up with their work.
01:00:38 So December, November, December.
01:00:41 So just December, January, February, March, April, May.
01:00:44 And then give us one month to digest the report.
01:00:47 So right there about June, July, middle of next year.
01:00:51 That's right, for the next SONA.
01:00:54 By that time, we're going to the tail-tail sides of the results.
01:00:58 You know that, the pilot, even though he's been running for six months,
01:01:01 you'll see some nuances ahead of time.
01:01:04 Correct. And it's good to run for Christmas or to start.
01:01:07 You hit the ground running, maybe towards Christmas.
01:01:11 Yes, yes, that's right.
01:01:13 Even if the cohort is small, even if our test group is small,
01:01:15 only 3,000, it's still meaningful for the 3,000 Filipino families.
01:01:19 Thank you very much, Secretary Rex Gatchalian of the Department of Social Welfare.
01:01:24 And don't forget, End Development.
01:01:26 Have a good day.
01:01:27 Thank you very much.
01:01:29 [Music]