Chiz on DSWD budget: P4.2B for monitoring of CCT program, too much

MANILA, Philippines - Senate Finance committee chairman Sen. Francis Escudero said the Senate will likely slash the budget of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on monitoring and cost of services under the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program for next year.

Escudero expressed concern why the government is allocating too much funds for the “monitoring budgets and cost of service” when these multi-billion budget can be put to better use if diverted to disaster and preparedness operations.

The senator cited for example the P4.2 billion budget of the DSWD meant to implement, monitor and evaluate the CCT program.

“This amount can be put to better use. We can reduce it and add the amount to major programs,” Escudero said.

Based on the proposed 2015 budget, Escudero said the DSWD is seeking the approval of P108 billion spending package for 2015, of which P64.7 billion is for CCT. Of this amount, P57.1 billion will go to actual cash transfer, P3.3 billion to personnel services and P4.2 billion to implement and monitor the DSWD’s cash dole out program.

“We need to monitor the implementation of our programs and projects to ensure accountability and judicious use of public funds, but it should not be that expensive,” Escudero said.

Escudero said the funds can be used instead to finance disaster preparedness and relief operations, and to purchase relief goods with longer shelf life.

During the budget hearings, Escudero also asked the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) over the P840 million earmarked for monitoring and evaluation of its program under grassroots participatory budgeting process or the GPBP amounting to P5.7 billion.

The senator sought a detailed breakdown of its projects and programs in all 1,600 local government units across the country.

“The finance committee is seriously looking into these items in the budget and we are carefully studying initiatives to introduce sensible spending in all levels. We want to allocate our scarce resources and equitably and fairly utilize these for significant purposes,” Escudero added.