TCT program’s one-month funding requirement was covered by the Department of Budget Management. The assistance will be distributed to cover a portion of the 3rd tranche of the said program.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it had released P5.2 billion of targeted cash transfer (TCT) for one-month to the Department of Social Welfare Development (DSWD) received ₱5.2 billion.
Budget secretary Amenah Pangandaman approved the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) to DSWD last November 17, 2022.
The DBM claimed this was charged to the unprogrammed appropriation, Inquirer reported.
The disbursement of funds is intended to cover a portion of the TCT program's third tranche, which would benefit about 9.8 million identified recipients.
“The DBM fully supports the projects and programs that provide social assistance to our fellow kababayans. It was the President himself who gave the marching order not to neglect those in dire need. Thus, we will do everything we can in our capacity so that they may receive the benefits entitled to them,” Pangandaman said.
In order to lessen the effects of the increase in the prices of fuel and other non-fuel commodities on vulnerable populations, the TCT Program provides unconditional cash transfers of ₱500 per month for six months to the most affected households.
Further, the DBM previously released a budget worth ₱10.33 billion to DSWD to cover two months' worth of cash transfers for 10 million beneficiaries in target households.
While the ₱5.2 billion assistance is part of the ₱9.1 billion computed requirement to cover a 1-month grant for the registered beneficiaries, it also covers a 3-month grant for the additional 2.6 million beneficiaries of the TCT program.
The Special Provision of the unprogrammed appropriations (UA) under the 2022 budget law provides that the UA may be availed of when there are new revenue collections or those from new tax or non-tax sources that are not part of, nor included in, the original revenue sources reflected in the Budget of Expenditure and Sources of Financing.
Tags: #DBM, #TCTprogram, #DSWD