Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Riyadh have said that the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), popularly known as the “pork barrel” fund, should be modified rather than abolished.

“The government should modify the PDAF rather than abolishing it because it can be helpful, especially to regular and legitimate beneficiaries,” Lourdes J. Alegado told Arab News.

“Government sectors such as the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Health (DoH) and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), among others, need funds that can be accessed from the PDAF,” she said.

Several PDAF beneficiaries surfaced when President Benigno Simeon Aquino III suspended the fund, along with the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), in August. For instance, PDAF scholarship beneficiaries, also known as “pork barrel scholars,” have been greatly affected. Hospitals have also been affected by the suspension of the PDAF’s allocations.

OFWs suggested changes in the PDAF, which include barring politicians from using the fund. “The government must assign people whose primary role is to handle and distribute the fund correctly instead,” one OFW said.

“The PDAF should be allocated equally to government sectors, such as the DepEd and the DPWH,” said Alegado. “Calls for modification have come at the right time, since the Philippines has been ravaged by typhoons, landslides and other natural disasters, which greatly damaged some, if not all, public structures in the country. Students in public schools will greatly benefit if they can acquire better school supplies such as books, tables, chairs and classrooms.”

“They should also rename the fund, since the term ‘pork barrel’ has a negative connotation,” she added.

Others, nevertheless, remain firm in their opinion about the PDAF.

“It is only right for the government to suspend the PDAF,” said Cecilia S. Largodizimo. “They should abolish it completely because large sums of money will always go missing.”