By Gabriela Baron
Copyright tribune
Amid the heated discussions on the questionable flood control mess, Senator Erwin Tulfo is pushing for the diversion of funds to health and poverty alleviation programs.In an ambush interview, Tulfo called on his colleagues to not forget the public’s problems and to find solutions for the high cost of food and medical care, as well as the lack of access to education and employment for Filipinos.”Since we already have the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, the Department of Justice, and the National Bureau of Investigation to identify other officials involved and to file cases, I think it’s high time that the Senate must now focus on the problems of the people,” he said.Tulfo also backed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s suggestion to divert the P36 billion originally intended for flood control funds to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).“Instead of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials, contractors, and politicians pocketing these public funds, I would rather have it allocated for the poor and marginalized,” Tulfo, who also served as DSWD secretary, said.“If the funds are with DSWD, it will go directly to the people and not go through the hands of politicians, or even DPWH officials and contractors,” he added.Marcos earlier announced that the flood control funds will be redirected to DSWD Poverty Alleviation programs such as AICS and SLP, among others.AICS is a program of the DSWD intended to support the poor and disenfranchised Filipinos when it comes to their emergency need for medicine, hospital, burial, and transportation assistance.Meanwhile, SLP provides P15,000 to communities so they can establish their own income-generating enterprises.Tulfo stressed that “it will be a money well-spent if the DSWD will be able to provide business capital for Filipinos in need.”“I believe that if many Filipinos who are in dire need of livelihood assistance are given SLP by the DSWD, it would be a great start for them to finally reach their goal to have their own enterprise and eventually contribute to the economy,” the senator underscored. The senator also noted that aside from corruption, addressing the issues of hunger, health, education, and employment were the primary concerns Filipinos raised to candidates during the last elections.
