ALMOST two years after the pandemic ended, the country still struggles to rid itself of the addiction to the economic morphine that it used to weather the pain of the frozen economy. Like an addictive painkiller, the system of "ayuda" or government cash assistance and "dole-outs" has grown, even after the pandemic itself. And politicians themselves or through their emissaries have been the ones giving these out to the public for more brownie points, as if the monies are theirs to start with.
The government's proposed allocation of P253.378 billion for cash assistance programs in 2025 highlights a troubling trend in national spending. Remarkably, this figure exceeds the P200.9 billion set aside for ayuda during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, when emergency support was crucial. While the intent behind ayuda is to reduce vulnerabilities and protect purchasing power, the normalization of such massive subsidies in non-crisis periods raises concerns about its economic, social and political implications.
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