MANILA - As government officials seek the payment of P203 billion in estate tax of the Marcos family, here is a breakdown of how many families could benefit from the unpaid dues.

• READ: Senate probe on BIR's failure to collect Marcos estate tax debt sought

If in the form of “ayuda” or state subsidy, the billions in estate taxes could fund the following:

SOCIAL AMELIORATION PROGRAM

Using the highest possible amounts provided in the government’s Social Amelioration Program and additional financial assistance as base figures, a household that fulfills all the criteria set by the government to be eligible for the tranches of monetary subsidies and additional financial aid could, in theory, receive as much as P28,000 in total.

Broken down, that is:
Bayanihan 1: P8,000 x 2 months = P16,000
Bayanihan 2: P8,000
Additional financial assistance: P4,000
TOTAL: P28,000

Using this computation, P203 billion could provide the maximum financial subsidy of P28,000 for 7.25 million families.

Meanwhile, If the P203 billion were to be equally divided among poor Filipino families, which, according to Philippine Statistics Authority data, numbered 4.74 million in the first semester of 2021, each family would receive P42,827. This is 1.5 times bigger than the P28,000 maximum subsidy from the tranches of the Social Amelioration Program combined.

ABS-CBN News sought the various offices of DSWD for comment on the above, but has yet to receive a definite response to its queries as of writing.

• READ: Of taxes and needs: How much can P203-B cover in the health sector?

Background

On March 24, 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. Section 4 (c) of the law states that "18 million low income households shall be provided an emergency subsidy of P5,000 to P8,000 a month for two months, computed based on the prevailing regional minimum wage rates."

On Sept. 11, 2020, Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act. Section 4 (f) (1) states, "P5,000 to P8,000 subsidy shall be provided to affected low income households in areas under granular lockdown and to households with recently returned overseas Filipino workers. The amount shall be based on the prevailing regional minimum wage rates."

In August 2021, the Department of the Interior and Local Government released its Local Budget Circular No. 139, which provides guidelines on the release and utilization of additional financial assistance to local government units that were placed under the Enhanced Community Quarantine. In it, a financial assistance “equivalent to P1,000 per affected individual, with a maximum amount of P4,000 per family” shall be provided.

• PART 1: How many infrastructure projects can you fund with P203 billion?

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