Government assistance programs, including the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD), and the Ayuda sa Kapos at Kita Program (AKAP), have been widely criticized for being prone to corruption, often through fund misallocation, political favoritism and ghost beneficiaries.
According to a former TUPAD beneficiary interviewed by DAILY TRIBUNE, who is now a household worker, some TUPAD coordinators made them “milking cows” in their barangay in Montalban, Rizal.
“Their scheme is they will talk to the TUPAD members and suggest that if they don’t want to work sweeping around the barangay, they will split the P5,200 salary with them. So, if you want to earn money without sweeping in the barangay, you will get only P2,600,” the tattler said.
TUPAD members are required to work four hours a day for 10 days in their barangays, doing cleaning and greening work such as street sweeping and tree planting.
The other half of the compensation goes, the tattler said: “to the TUPAD coordinators in cahoots with the municipal officials.”
Also, she revealed that deserving beneficiaries were not automatically included in the TUPAD program: “They also practice favoritism; they only choose their relatives.”
Based on recent Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia surveys of 1,800 individuals, commissioned by the Stratbase Group and conducted from 17 to 20 January, 90 percent of Filipinos found the 4Ps helpful, with 66 percent saying it was “very helpful” and 24 percent considering it “somewhat helpful.”
Further, 88 percent considered the TUPAD program helpful to the underprivileged. Of this number, 51 percent said it was “very helpful,” while 37 percent thought it was “somewhat helpful.”
Yet, according to the “nosy Tarsee,” the primary beneficiaries of these programs seemed to be the implementing officials rather than the intended recipients.
Raffy Ayeng
We’ve heard it said before—the power supply will be stable and no interruptions are expected. But are we really in the clear, or are we just whistling past the graveyard?
“This is an election year that’s why we are on standby on the supply, but our projection says there will be no interruptions,” said Isidro Cacho Jr., head of trading operations at the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines.
Sounds reassuring, but let’s not forget: our grid and even the power plants have a habit of throwing surprises when we least expect them.
Last year, we baked under El Niño’s heat. This year, La Niña’s in town, supposedly keeping demand “somehow tamer” than before.
“Our (economic) growth continues and, luckily, plants are coming in,” Cacho said, referring to additional generation capacity from the first and second rounds of the Green Energy Auction. But here’s the catch — just because plants exist doesn’t mean they won’t conk out when you need them most.
“The big thing that impacts us is the unplanned outages,” Cacho admitted.
Although supply conditions are improving, the Visayas grid remains a concern due to its heavy reliance on oil-based generation, which keeps prices elevated. Meanwhile, Luzon and Mindanao have a better capacity mix, easing some of last year’s tight conditions.
Another lingering issue is transmission congestion. Cacho is optimistic that new transmission lines being commissioned by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) will help address bottlenecks and minimize constraints.
“Hopefully, this year, the issue of congestion will ease with all the new transmission lines NGCP commissioned,” he said.
So, are we in the clear? The outlook is positive, but the power supply isn’t built on optimism alone.
History has shown that even the best projections can be derailed by unexpected plant shutdowns and infrastructure delays.
With summer creepin’ in and the election season heatin’ up, let’s see if the power sector holds steady — or if we’re in for another round of rotating excuses.
Maria Romero