Ayuda

Filipinos, especially the marginalized, are desperate for help, especially in these challenging times.

The latest surveys on ayuda confirm this.

I combed through the latest surveys, which showed overwhelming public approval of the government’s social assistance programs.

The surveys were conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) and Pulse Asia, commissioned by the Stratbase Group. These programs include the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) and the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP).

Conducted from Jan. 17 to 20, 2025, the surveys polled 1,800 respondents on their awareness of the government’s social welfare programs and whether or not they found them helpful.

The results aren’t surprising at all. Times are hard even for the middle class. One can imagine it’s even more difficult for those in the marginalized sectors, especially because prices of basic goods and commodities remain elevated.

But this isn’t just a recent issue. It’s actually been the situation in the country for some time, made worse during the pandemic.

Poverty incidence in the Philippines – or the proportion of Filipinos whose per capita income cannot sufficiently meet the individual basic food and non-food needs – was recorded at 18.1 percent in 2021, up from 16.7 percent in 2018.

This translates to around 19.99 million Filipinos living below the poverty threshold of about P12,030 per month for a family of five, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

This is why polls have shown near-universal support for key government welfare programs.

Breaking the cycle of poverty

For instance, nine in ten Filipinos expressed support for 4Ps according to the SWS survey.

“Results show that 90 percent of Filipinos found 4Ps helpful, with 66 percent saying it is ‘very helpful’ and 24 percent considering it ‘somewhat helpful’,” Stratbase said.

I know for a fact that the 4Ps, in particular, has been helpful for struggling families because I personally know a family from Leyte who are beneficiaries. They were able to send their children to school because of the program.

The program provides a conditional cash transfer to poor households for a maximum period of seven years to improve their children’s health, nutrition and education.

It’s good to know that over 700,000 of the 4.4 million beneficiaries graduated from the program early last year.

While these cash transfer programs have been criticized for fostering dependency, we can at least see tangible results, especially with the thousands who have graduated from the program.

And until such time that our economy has grown fast enough to absorb these marginalized sectors, it is inevitable that Filipinos will indeed depend on these programs for relief.

Similarly, the TUPAD program, which offers temporary employment to the informal sector, garnered an 88 percent approval rating. The program offers immediate relief to displaced workers while they search for more stable employment.

Even the controversial AKAP program, which offers financial assistance to low-income families, received strong support, with 81 percent of Filipinos recognizing its value.

As I said, this isn’t surprising because of the rising cost of living in the Philippines.

For sure, these programs are not perfect. In fact, I’ve earlier warned that they can be inflationary but for struggling families, they are the help they need in these challenging times. It is what it is.

Indeed, for the economically vulnerable – or those most affected by the difficult economic landscape – these social assistance programs serve as lifelines, offering a sense of security and stability during uncertain times.

When Pulse Asia asked respondents how programs like 4Ps, AKAP and TUPAD had affected their lives, eight in ten reported that these initiatives had improved their financial situation. Only one in ten felt their circumstances had worsened.

According to an OCTA Research survey, 69 percent of Filipinos also favor the continuation and expansion of programs like AKAP. The Marcos administration must also continue the 4Ps, a program under the administration of president PNoy.

What do these surveys tell us? First of all, they tell us that the current economic challenges are tough and very real for many of our fellow Filipinos. They also tell us that these welfare initiatives are critical at this time as they help Filipinos make ends meet.

As Stratbase Group president Dindo Manhit said, “With 90 percent of Filipinos feeling the strain of rising food prices – particularly rice – social welfare programs have become an essential lifeline for struggling families.”

Transparency

In delivering these programs, however, the government, especially the DSWD, must ensure transparency to guarantee that public funds are used efficiently to address the needs of the Filipino people.

Public funds must serve their intended purpose – which is to break the cycle of poverty in the country, to benefit the citizens and to improve their welfare, and not to advance the interest of our politicians.

We can see what happens when taxpayers’ money is spent properly – Filipinos benefit and such benefits trickle down to the local economy.

The bigger goal, however, should be to grow the economy faster so that it can provide better and higher-paying jobs to jobless Filipinos. The government must also improve state-owned hospitals and schools so that the marginalized sectors have access to quality health care and education.

For now, the ayuda is what they have and they depend on it to survive the trying times.

*      *      *

Email: eyesgonzales@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.