Palace junks suggestion to use CCT funds to help 'Juan' victims

Malacañang rejected Saturday a suggestion by one of its political allies to use part of the funds for its controversial conditional cash transfer (CCT) program to help victims of typhoon “Juan" (Megi). Deputy presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte said the CCT program is “long-term" and meant not just for calamity victims but also for poor families. “From what we see, the CCT program is not just meant for calamity victims. It’s for long-term [purpose and] it’s not responsive to the need of one situation," she said on government-run dzRB radio. She said the CCT program, administered by Social Welfare Secretary and political ally Corazon Soliman, provides services such as helping poor children go to school and pregnant mothers get health care. On Friday, Sen. Ralph Recto – who served as socio-economic planning secretary under then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo – suggested that remaining funds from the CCT program for this year and the savings from the interest payments for the country’s debt brought about by the stronger peso be used to help the typhoon victims. As of 6 a.m. Saturday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said typhoon Juan had affected 350,408 families or 1,676,442 people in 2,989 villages in 225 towns and 16 cities in 23 provinces. Recto said government can launch a dole-out variant that could be called the Cash to Casualties of Typhoon or CTCT program. But Valte said it would be better if CCT funds be left untouched. “It is better that the CCT funds be used for its purpose so it can help more people," Valte said. Another Palace ally, Sen. Francis Pangilinan, had suggested that the government seek a supplemental budget for rehabilitation efforts. However, Valte said it is still too early for the Palace to seek a supplemental budget for 2011, saying the NDRRMC’s field reports are not fully in yet. “At this point we don’t have the final assessment of damage yet. Every day there are updates coming in. So it is better to wait for the NDRRMC to give the final report on the extent of damages before we explore ways to get funds for rehabilitation," Valte said in Filipino. She also appealed for a stop to speculations on the extent of damage and how much will be needed. In its 8 a.m. Saturday update, the NDRRMC said the damage includes P8.223 billion in agriculture and P87.67 million in infrastructure. NDRRMC said the P87.67-million damage to infrastructure includes P83.45 million in damage to bridges and roads, and P4.1 million to schools. On the other hand, the bulk of damage to agriculture was to rice and corn at P6.385 billion; P1.022 billion to irrigation; P660.304 million to high-value commercial crops such as mangoes, bananas papayas and vegetables; P140.083 million to fisheries; P10.596 million to livestock; and P4.996 million to facilities. — LBG, GMANews.TV