Ex-critic credits CCT for hunger decline

MANILA, Philippines - Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles credited the administration’s P21-billion conditional cash transfer (CCT) program for the recent decline in the incidence of hunger among the poor.

Nograles was among the lawmakers who had opposed the CCT program, which gives financial assistance of up to P1,500 a month for one year to the “poorest of the poor” on condition that they send their children to school.

“If there’s one Cabinet member who single-handedly reversed the trend of negative surveys on the Aquino administration’s performance, that would be Secretary Dinky,” he said, referring to Secretary Corazon Soliman of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“She must be credited for the latest SWS (Social Weather Stations) survey which shows that the country’s self-rated hunger declined dramatically because of the proper implementation of CCT,” he said.

“The President has every reason to be pleased with her performance because unlike some of whom he described as his perpetual headaches and (bearers) of bad news, Secretary Dinky is very proactive and excessively hardworking,” he added.

He cited the case of the Davao floods that killed scores of people and devastated the lives and livelihood of Davaoweños, whom Soliman helped with relief goods worth P5 million.

Nograles said the relief goods were immediately distributed to 10,000 affected families in his district, particularly those in the Talomo, Matina Crossing, Matina Pangi and Matina Aplaya communities.

“Since Tuesday, the DSWD and the citizens of Davao as well as from other cities have been helping out and giving quick response to aid the victims. I would also like to thank President Aquino for immediately sending officials from the Office of Civil Defense to assess and assist in the operations,” he said.

In opposing the CCT, Nograles and other House members had claimed that the money would not really help the poor improve their plight and would just promote mendicancy and laziness.

They said the funds would have been better used for building schools, roads and other infrastructure, which would have generated jobs and income for the people and would have more lasting impact than temporary dole-outs.

President Aquino, however, is convinced that the cash assistance project is helping the poor and reducing poverty. He plans to increase its funds for 2012.

‘Poverty down but crime up’

Meanwhile, former justice secretary Raul Gonzalez lauded Aquino yesterday for reducing poverty but expressed concern over the rising criminality in the country today.

Speaking to reporters during the weekly news forum at Annabel’s restaurant in Quezon City, Gonzalez said it’s too early to give the President full assessment because he is only one year in office and still has five more years.

Gonzalez said the recent SWS report on the reduction of poverty in the country is a welcome development for the Aquino administration.

“The report about reduction of people who are suffering poverty is something we should be happy about,” he said.

However, Gonzalez expressed concern about rising criminality which he said has not been addressed by the current administration.

“The rule of law and criminality has not been addressed after one year, you read people being killed, cars being hijacked, women killed and placed in freezer,

the peace and order problem has not improved,” he said.

He also cited the Luneta hostage crisis which he said has not been solved and people who were supposed to be indicted were actually exonerated.

Gonzalez also criticized the administration for taking much time in going after supposed anomalies which he said are based only on suspicion.

He cited the case of the Laguna lake dredging project funded by the Belgian government which has been suspended because of some reports of alleged anomalies.

The suspension of foreign-funded projects is destroying the image of the Philippines in the international community, he said.

“We should stop destroying our image otherwise we will get stranded without the country moving forward,” he said.

Gonzalez gave Aquino a passing grade of 88 for intentions but a zero for performance in the first year of his administration. - With Perseus Echeminada