Cayetano reiterates proposal for CCT II program
to battle increase in hunger incidence

Senate minority leader Alan Peter Cayetano expressed alarm over the recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey that revealed that 3.9 million families experienced hunger in March.

The poll, conducted from March 19-22, noted an increase in the number of Filipino families that went hungry from last December's 16.3 percent to the present 19.2 percent.

Cayetano stressed that the government should now focus on ensuring that all Filipinos feel the country's stellar 6.6 percent GDP growth. "In 2011 alone, the government was successful in creating 1.156 million jobs. This is truly a good start. Now we need to build on this," he said.

Cayetano had earlier suggested that the government enact a second-tier program complimentary to the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program currently in effect.

"The program will cater to working class people in need to capital to start their own business," he said as he suggested a procedure wherein a simple certificate indicating that a person has gone through a livelihood seminar would be enough to allow a borrower to avail of a loan grant.

Cayetano explained that enabling the growth of the small and medium enterprise (SME) industry in the country will is one surefire of ensuring that Filipinos will have the means to take advantage of the country's economic gains and provide a decent life for their families.

"Through the CCT II program, we will be able to teach Filipinos to "fish" rather than simply giving them fish," he said.