House panel approves proposed P12,000 subsidy for minimum-wage households
Key Takeaways
- •The House Social Services Committee approved House Bill Nos. 10648 and 10735 for the proposed PAMANA Program.
- •Qualified households would receive P1,000 monthly, totaling P12,000 annually, through a PhilSys-linked digital wallet.
- •Eligibility would include minimum-wage private and public employees, along with qualifying self-employed and informal-sector workers outside 4Ps.
- •Spending would be capped at P200 per day, with unused balances retained subject to the same limit.
- •The subsidy could not be cashed out, transferred, or used for online gambling, alcohol, tobacco, and other excluded goods and services.
The proposed P12,000 annual subsidy for qualified minimum-wage households should be treated as an economic intervention that could also increase sales for small businesses, Party-list Rep. Jude A. Acidre said after the measure won committee approval.
In a statement, Mr. Acidre said the proposed Pambansang Agapay sa Pamilya at Maliliit na Negosyo (PAMANA) Program would strengthen household purchasing power while directing spending to accredited local businesses.
“We should be clear that PAMANA is not simply ayuda,” Mr. Acidre said. “The intention is not just to transfer money to a household and end the intervention there.”
The House Committee on Social Services approved House Bill Nos. 10648 and 10735 on Monday, according to the lawmaker.
Under the proposed program, eligible families would receive P12,000 annually in equal monthly payments of P1,000. The subsidy would be distributed through a digital wallet linked to the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys).
Beneficiaries would be families headed by a PhilSys-registered minimum-wage earner who is not enrolled in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) or any successor conditional cash-transfer program.
The proposed measures would cover private-sector workers paid the statutory minimum wage and public-sector employees whose salaries do not exceed the applicable minimum wage. Self-employed and informal-sector workers earning at or below their region’s minimum wage would also be eligible to apply.
“Regular employment does not necessarily translate to financial security for minimum wage households,” Mr. Acidre said.
The measures would limit beneficiaries’ spending to P200 per day. Unused funds could remain available for subsequent days, subject to the same daily limit. The subsidy could not be converted into cash or transferred to another account.
It also could not be used for online gambling, alcohol, tobacco, or other excluded goods and services.
The proposals would establish a dedicated PAMANA Trust Fund to finance the program. The fund would be maintained by the Bureau of the Treasury and administered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Source: Bworldonline
