Social pension hike for indigent seniors unfunded so far under proposed P5.268-T 2023 budget —DBM

The P500 increase for the social pension of indigent or poor senior citizens is unfunded under the proposed P5.268-trillion budget for 2023 so far, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said Monday. 

"The [measure providing for the increase] lapsed into law after the budget [call] has already been completed so we did not include that," DBM Undersecretary Tina Rose Marie Canda said in a press briefing.

Canda was referring to the measure that lapsed into law last August 2, which provided for a P500 increase in the monthly pension of indigent senior citizens. From P500, the monthly pension will now be P1,000.

"That [budget requirement] is around P24.5 billion," she added.

Canda, however, said the DBM will work with Congress to remedy this.

"We would like the wisdom of Congress on this," she said.

"We will be providing them with utilization rates of various agencies so they may at least know where it can be sourced," Canda added.

Likewise, Canda said that a P20-billion budget for buying COVID-19 vaccines in 2023 has been placed under an unprogrammed fund, meaning those budget items will be funded provided that the government generates enough revenues.

As this developed, Canda also announced that the budget for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) has been increased to P115.6  billion from P106 billion to be able to cover around four million poorest of the poor households.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman on Monday submitted to the House of Representatives the proposed P5.268 trillion national budget for 2023.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said the House is eyeing to approve the proposed P5.268 trillion budget for 2023 on third and final reading on or before October 1.

"The House leadership is eyeing to finish the committee and plenary deliberations on the budget proposal on or before October 1 when Congress is scheduled to go on its first recess that will last up to November 6," he said. —KG, GMA News