SOCIAL Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Monday denied that his agency rejected referrals for assistance from the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
“We do not reject [any request for financial assistance]. All those who needed help were assisted. It’s as simple as that,” Gatchalian said.
He made the clarification during the Senate hearing on the proposed 2025 budget of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) amounting to P2.037 billion.
Sen. Imee Marcos, Senate Finance Subcommittee chairman who presided over the budget hearing, asked Gatchalian for an update on Vice President Sara Duterte’s complaint regarding financial aid distribution.
“Apparently, if it (referral) comes from the OVP, it was not granted; that’s why the OVP itself was forced to help those in need,” Marcos said in Filipino.
Gatchalian replied, “First of all, the DSWD does not take advantage of its funds — that’s for the people. We agree with that.”
“As we speak right now, all our offices are open [for any request for assistance]. [Many people] approach us every day, and our social workers assess these [requests],” he said in Filipino and English.
Gatchalian said the DSWD would submit to the committee an exchange of messages with a certain Director Norman from the OVP.
The message thread shows that the OVP was even thankful that its referrals were accommodated, he said.
The DSWD’s social workers will not allow themselves to be used as instruments for politicking since they risk losing their licenses, Gatchalian said.
Marcos also wanted to know why the cash grant deficit for the 2023 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) budget was not included in the computation of the 4Ps budget for 2025.
Based on the submission of the DSWD to the committee, Marcos said the agency has a deficit of P1.956 billion in subsidies in arrears for 2023, but yet it was included in the special provision of the agency’s 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP) as if there will be savings.
Gatchalian said the savings the senator was referring to were actually the “additional tier 2” budget that the DSWD requested from the Department of Budget and Management amounting to P7 billion, which was already included in the National Expenditure Program.
