By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will begin the distribution of P200 per month by the end of January to 10 million household-beneficiaries under the unconditional cash transfer (UCT) component of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) program.
DSWD OIC Secretary Emmanuel Leyco said the agency was given the responsibility by Congress to implement the distribution of the P200 per month assistance program.
“We will carry out that responsibility the most efficient way that we can,” Leyco said.
“We have put together a mechanism that will enable us to distribute the P200 UCT to 10 million Filipinos who belong to the poorer sectors of the country,” he added.
DSWD will be setting up a new program management office, which will focus on the payroll generation, beneficiary validation, and release of funds to the beneficiaries.
“We understand the immediate need of many Filipinos for economic assistance from the government in the wake of the implementation of the TRAIN, which has caused an increase in petroleum prices. We aim to finish the distribution of the UCT to all 10 million beneficiaries before the end of June 2018,” he said.
Leyco explained that DSWD will implement the UCT scheme for three years as stipulated in the TRAIN.
It will release P2,400 (P200 per month) in 2018 and a total of P3,600 (P300 per month) in 2019 and in 2020. The government has earmarked P24 billion for the 2018 UCT implementation.
Of the 10 million household-beneficiaries, 4.4 million are Pantawid Pamilyang beneficiaries.
DSWD will facilitate the payment to 1.8 million beneficiaries with cash cards by January 31.
The remaining 2.6 million Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries without cash cards will receive the grants through partner conduits at a later date.
Also included in the 10 million UCT beneficiaries are three million indigent senior citizens who are also beneficiaries of the DSWD social pension program, which is being implemented with the help of local government units (LGUs) and social development offices (SDOs).
The remaining 2.6 million households will be selected from the Listahanan or National Household Targeting System (NHTS-PR), which will go through validation.