The government’s emergency subsidy: Lacking substantive matters

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PRESIDENT RODRIGO Duterte announced on March 30 the biggest aid package ever to be given by government to people in need. Mandated by law to report on that day, the president addressed the nation at 11 p.m – a seven hour delay from the scheduled time. He took about 20 minutes to finish his address, taped for delayed airing. Duterte read from a teleprompter but the video showed obvious edits.

The media responded with the kind of attention that the president receives during public events. Some accounts gave the report the kind of scrutiny that it deserved.

The presentation was required by Republic Act (RA) 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act which the president signed on March 24. The law grants special powers to the president to address the COVID-19 outbreak. It mandated emergency subsidies ranging from PHP5,000 to PHP8,000 to be distributed to around 18 million low-income households for two months. Earlier reports said Congress provided for the release of PHP275 billion for COVID-19 pandemic response: PHP200 billion for social amelioration and PHP75 billion for health expenditures such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and testing kits.

The president has also asked Congress for special powers to takeover private hospitals, but Congress only allowed Duterte’s direction of their operations. Only funds from the executive branch were realigned.

The lengthy report however still lacked substantive matters. It did not specify the manner of implementation, specifically, the distribution of the cash assistance.  Duterte also did not say anything about the PHP75 billion for health and medical needs.

These gaps indicate that as late as the 18^th day of the lockdown for Metro Manila, the Duterte administration still did not have a comprehensive plan of action. Asking for special powers and for a huge fund to disburse, the government had not worked on the process of distribution to avoid delays and misappropriation.

CMFR monitored reports of leading national dailies (Manila Bulletin¸ Philippine Daily Inquirer and The Philippine Star), primetime newscasts (ABS-CBN 2’s TV Patrol, GMA-7’s 24 Oras, TV5’s Aksyon and CNN Philippines’ News Night) and select news sites from March 31 to April 2.

Few details

Media reported the announcement the following day, March 31, with the Inquirer and Bulletin giving it banner treatment.  Primetime newscasts did not lead with the story but placed it well within the first half of the program. CMFR notes some reports which noted that government did not indicate when people could expect to receive the money.

Media reported the range of cash assistance depending on the wage rates prevailing in the location. Rappler and Inquirer pointed out that those expecting aid would still have to wait pending the completion of a database of beneficiaries. According to Rappler, the Department of Finance (DoF) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) would be working on the database beginning April 1. The Inquirer reported that the DSWD did not give a clear answer when they asked about the actual distribution of cash assistance.

On April 1 and 2, News Night’s Pia Hontiveros repeatedly asked reporters when people could expect to receive the money, only to be told that there was no definite date yet.

Reports also noted that LGUs are tasked to identify the beneficiaries of aid. On April 1, 24 Oras utilized graphics to illustrate the workflow involved: the filling out of amelioration cards at the barangay level and the submission of these to the DSWD.

The Inquirer reported on April 2 that the DSWD is requiring beneficiaries to be first endorsed by the barangay chair and then validated by the municipal or city social welfare office. The same report quoted House Deputy Speaker Luis Ray Villafuerte who slammed it and said it creates unnecessary bureaucratic layer.

Not much has been heard about PHP75 billion supposedly for medical equipment and supplies. Hopefully, journalists will keep the amount in mind so the matter will not fall into some black hole.