00:00Very quickly, Mr. Chair, is it right that there has been a reduction in the funds for the program on protective services for individuals and families?
00:10That's correct, Mr. Chair. The good congressman rightfully pointed out,
00:15dahil mawawala ho yung ACAP, dati nandun sa protective services yun, malaking kawalan ho yun.
00:19And then, the budget for AICS also, or the assistance to individuals in crisis situation na bawasan nito.
00:25So, put together, we're looking at close to around $50 billion worth of reductions.
00:32I don't want to put the cart before the horse, but to be able to better explain it,
00:37if the Good Committee will allow me to flash the cart that I wanted to show a while ago?
00:41Yes, please, Secretary.
00:42Can you put that up?
00:44And maybe if the Good Secretary can also explain what will be the effect of this reduction,
00:51and as well as the alternative, if ever there are families or individuals who have a need of this program?
00:59Thank you, Mr. Chair.
01:01Can we flash the slide?
01:04So, if you can see, Mr. Chair, we put together the slide that shows AICS and its sister program, ACAP.
01:12For 2026, because of the reduced AICS budget, the target has been reduced from around $6 million to $3.6 million.
01:26So, ang ma-underserved natin for next year projected if the NEP is to be followed.
01:31For AICS alone, 2.978543 individuals is endangered of losing their AICS social welfare.
01:42So, pag may kailangan sila, dito, itong numero na to yung matidisplace.
01:48Now, because ACAP has been deleted from the NEP,
01:51we're looking at another 4 million clients na sa kasalukuyan natutulungan ng programa,
01:57pero mawawala na rin ho.
01:58So, if you look at the right-handmost slide,
02:03and if I can direct you to the projected service gap,
02:06that's 2.9 or 3 million for AICS,
02:11and then another 4 million for ACAP.
02:14So, we're looking at around 7 million individuals
02:17who may not be able to help receive social welfare in their crisis situation.
02:25Now, that's the first part of it,
02:27and it's a bit alarming,
02:28and I'm very thankful for the committee for asking us about this.
02:33Now, the alternative thereof,
02:35I leave it to our policymakers.
02:38But again, there is a notion in the department
02:40that we merge the program consolidated into the AICS
02:45to make sure that people do not lose their service or their social welfare.
02:51But again, I put it on the table for our policymakers
02:54that even AICS itself has been reduced.
02:57So, sana ho,
02:59ma-reconsider ng ating mababang kapulungan
03:02yung dilema ng departamento
03:04na may mahigit 7 million tayong Pilipino,
03:09pamilyang Pilipino,
03:10na maaaring hindi matulungan
03:11kung hindi natin i-re-restore
03:13o dagdagan ang provision para sa AICS.
03:17So, it is possible that we expand,
03:20with the help of the department,
03:21we expand the menu for AICS?
03:25Yes, Mr. Chair.
03:26That is something that we can do.
03:28Pero if we expand it,
03:29nang hindi natin daddagan yung line item allocation for AICS,
03:34then we might be cannibalizing
03:36the AICS allocation even faster
03:39than what it is right now.
03:41Do we have like a data or information
03:45on the impact and effect of the AICS program
03:48to our constituents?
03:50Because just like 4P's,
03:53I believe the Philippine Institute for Developmental Studies,
03:56they already have a study.
03:58So, maybe it will be considered by the department
04:00to make a study as well
04:02to help policymakers.
04:04Madam Chair,
04:06early on,
04:08I think I even mentioned it in the last budget hearing,
04:10the department has already procured
04:12a macro-level anti-poverty study.
04:16The winning bidder,
04:18the winning contractor,
04:19is a group formed by
04:20former Social Economic Planning Secretary,
04:23Shell Habito.
04:24So, that will look at all
04:25the anti-poverty programs
04:27within the department
04:28and outside the department.
04:30We're talking about TUPAD,
04:31we're talking about MAEB,
04:32we're talking about AICS.
04:33So, that study, unfortunately,
04:35is a bit delayed
04:35because of the election period.
04:37They couldn't do their field study
04:38and their field dates.
04:39But that study should come to a fore
04:41in the last quarter of this year.
04:43And we will make sure
04:44to furnish this committee
04:45as well as all
04:46anti-poverty committees of Congress
04:48this study
04:49so that we can see
04:50the impact of AICS
04:52and other anti-poverty programs
04:54of the government
04:55vis-Ã -vis poverty reduction.
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