Lacson: Excessive giving of aid may contribute to unemployment in PH
Former Sen. Panfilo Lacson and then Senate President Vicente Sotto III in this file photo taken on April 25, 2022. Photo from Lacson-Sotto media bureai
CAMARINES SUR, Philippines — Does providing too much financial aid make Filipinos lazy? Former Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, who is aiming for a Senate comeback, wants to reassess the various forms of the “ayuda system” in the country if he is reelected.
Lacson raised concerns over whether excessive aid provision discourages people from working.
He made this remark during a press conference with the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas Senate slate in Camarines Sur on Friday when asked if the distribution of aid contributes to the rising unemployment rates in the country.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) had earlier reported that the number of jobless Filipinos rose to 2.16 million in January, up from 1.63 million in December.
“Maybe, with the overwhelming amount of aid, our fellow Filipinos have become lazy and don’t want to work. So, I think — this is my personal opinion — we should revisit the many forms of aid we are giving,” Lacson said partly in Filipino.
He proposed enhancing the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) instead, noting that this national poverty reduction strategy is “institutionalized.”
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“If we keep giving aid without basing it on data provided by the Philippine Statistics Authority or the national government, the money might just go to waste. On the other hand, if we enhance 4Ps, it is time-bound. After seven years, a family graduates, and another family takes their place. It addresses nutrition and education, provides jobs, and offers opportunities for livelihood,” Lacson explained in Filipino.
Lacson expressed hope that his fellow Alyansa candidates would support his position and advocate for focusing on 4Ps.
“Meanwhile, other forms of aid may be contributing to the rising unemployment rate, from 3.1% to 4.3%. People may become lazy, thinking there will always be aid coming to them just because they are related to a leader or patron,” he added.
Senatorial hopeful Camille Villar, meanwhile, supported Lacson’s remarks, emphasizing the need to identify the root causes of the rising unemployment rate.
“This is also what I advocate for: we need to help our micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) because 67 to 70% of jobs in the Philippines come from MSMEs,” Villar said, mostly in Filipino.
“In addition to aid, we should support these small businesses and entrepreneurs through policies that are friendly to doing business. We should make it easier for them to operate and succeed,” she added in Filipino.
