A standing forum that serves as a platform for distilling private and public policy guided by its mission as crucible to uncover truth and meaning, the Monday Circle last April 27 turned into a stimulating town hall style meeting with the fabulous Undersecretary Claire Castro of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) and Palace Press Officer (PPO) for the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM).

The main objective of the invitation was to get a first-hand update on the progress of the administration in addressing the various issues buffeting the country, especially arising from the continuing US-Israel war with Iran.  

Her presence galvanized the gathering to excitement. But before she could even proceed far enough to discuss the government’s action plans to meet and stem the financial challenges and potential economic issues of the present crises, the bimonthly forum was shifted by her style into a town hall type of meeting: the conversation transformed into a two-way exchange of ideas intended for “the man himself where the buck stops.” On top of the conversation was how the social amelioration programs of government are affecting the overall circumstances of those present.   

The atmosphere of the meeting was further heightened by the exciting news developments brought by Dr. Guido David of OCTA Research with regard to their latest nationwide survey results for the 2028 presidential elections. 

The fieldwork for the Tugon ng Masa (TNM) presidential survey was conducted from March 19 to 25, 2026, using face-to-face interviews. A total of 1,200 respondents, 18 years old and above, both male and female, were interviewed for the study. The survey has a ±3% margin of error at a 95% confidence level. 

In addition, the survey’s subnational estimates for the geographic areas covered have margins of error of ±6% for NCR, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, also at a 95% confidence level. 

The survey findings, even though just a snapshot of current public sentiment and not yet a basis for the prediction of electoral outcome, showed a worrisome slip for Sara Duterte and an exciting surge in Leni Robredo’s numbers for the 2028 presidential elections.

Issues raised

On the “ayuda” (aid) or social amelioration programs, while lauded worldwide as a practical solution to support the society’s poor under the present economic shift, there was an abundance of questions by those present as to how efficient and effective are they administered, much more so in materializing their ultimate impact.  

For instance, there is the 4Ps or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. This revolves around the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program supposedly focused on long-term poverty reduction. Its focus is on health, nutrition, and education for children between the age of less than one to18 years of age. For 2026, the program is proposed to receive P113 billion to support roughly 4.4 million households.

Next is the TUPAD or Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/ Displaced Workers. This provides emergency employment to displaced, underemployed, and seasonal workers, ranging from a minimum of 10 days but not exceeding 30 to 90 days depending on the situation. The beneficiaries are supposedly the informal sector workers affected by the present crises and developing economic shifts. 

There is also the AKAP or Ayuda sa Kapos and Kita Program. The beneficiaries are supposedly the “near poor” or low-income earners who are not regular 4Ps beneficiaries but are affected by rising commodity prices as it is now. Another is the Walang Gutom or Food STAMP Program and the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).

Additionally, the government is said to be increasingly integrating these programs. Starting last April, 4Ps beneficiaries are automatically made eligible for the Expanded Lifeline Rate (ELR), which provides significant discounts of up to 100% on electricity bills for low-consumption households.

In the Senate Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis Strategy (PROTECT) committee hearing last Wednesday, April 29, Department of Social Welfare Department (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian admitted that the government could have lost recently around P2.7 billion in cash assistance to “ghost riders” or “ghost drivers.” 

Gatchalian noted duplicates and errors in beneficiaries’ details, especially for the lists of potential beneficiaries in the delivery service, motorcycle taxi, and transport network service (TNVS) sectors.  

Ultimately, the common narrative against the “ayuda” programs centers on the feeling that these subsidies foster a culture of mendicancy or conversely discourage industriousness. As felt, they lead to indolence as these cash grants can inadvertently demotivate people from seeking formal employment. 

To cite a common problem among those who were present in the meeting, they find it now difficult to get household hands, personal drivers or even unskilled workers for low-wage or seasonal manual labor, as some individuals may prefer the aid over physically demanding jobs with similar pay.

Worse, there is a growing friction from “near-poor” groups such as security guards and janitors, who earn minimum wage but do not qualify for 4Ps. This creates a perception that those who “work hard” are less supported than those not working and receiving aid.

There is also the growing impression that the aid serves as double-edge “soft pork” or a tool for political patronage, where beneficiaries feel obligated to support certain leaders, further detaching the aid from its intended goal of economic empowerment. 

The Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) industry groups are as well crying for help to stop some Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) regional offices from flooding their ranks with Letters of Authority (LOAs) to conduct tax audits at this time. The industry is one of those which are already struggling in the midst of the present crises.

Their situation is further compounded by the rush of LOAs “with verbal advise of the need for urgent settlement of some tax payment deficiencies.” What does this mean? Why this has to happen now, of all times?

To what was aired, there might be a similar connection to the anomalous practice divulged in the military years ago of bestowing a “pasalubong” or “despedida” (as the case may be) in view of the administration’s pending reassignment plans for BIR regional officers.  

There is also this appeal to President Marcos by the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) to direct government offices, agencies and government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) to patronize local products for their supply requirements.  

The government is the single biggest consumer in the country. Yet, according to FPI’s chairman Emeritus, Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza, the volume of government procurement tends to tilt more toward foreign products and suppliers and not to their membership.

Now, FPI is appealing to PBBM to issue an executive or administrative order to require all government offices, agencies and GOCCs to buy exclusively locally made products and supplies. Their argument is anchored on the simple theory that when the government buys foreign products and supplies, the money leaves the country; but when it buys local products and supplies, the money stays for the country to thrive further. 

Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore have been taking away our manpower and potential business opportunities. Malaysia just recently beat us to the draw to supply the US with its huge requirements for rare earth minerals. – Rappler.com

You may reach the writer at [email protected]