Senator Alan Peter Cayetano alleges that President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. declined plans to distribute P10,000 cash assistance to pandemic-affected Filipinos after winning the 2022 presidential election.
In a public livestream, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano disclosed that following the 2022 presidential elections, President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. chose not to proceed with a proposal to provide P10,000 financial aid to qualified beneficiaries still recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cayetano explained that in 2021, as the pandemic lingered, government budgets could have accommodated this cash assistance. He further noted that annual financial aid allocations ranged between 200 to 400 billion pesos, making such aid plausible.
The senator suggested that only in 2026, following an expansion of the government’s United Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) program—which provides incremental support related to rising fuel prices—did substantial cash aid announcements emerge, with beneficiaries receiving P12,000 over six months.
Cayetano hinted at possible fiscal mismanagement by rhetorically questioning if hundreds of billions were misappropriated before aid distribution. The Palace has not responded to requests for comment on these allegations. Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced that distribution of UPLIFT cash aid would start on the coming Monday.
The aid targets three beneficiary groups: Group 1 comprises 3.5 million households under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and Walang Gutom Program receiving a one-time P2,000 additional assistance; Group 2 includes 2.5 million poor and near-poor households just above the poverty line; Group 3 consists of 1.5 million Social Security System members with monthly salary credits of P20,000 and below. Groups 2 and 3 are set to receive P2,000 monthly aid for six months, totaling P12,000 each by December 2026.
Sources referenced:
- https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/995283/cayetano-marcos-10k/story/