By Charissa Luci-Atienza
The list of beneficiaries who are qualified to receive the P5,000 to P8,000 emergency subsidy during the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine will be publicly disclosed and the local government units (LGUs) will have access to it, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rolando Bautista has assured the public.
He made the assurance after House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano criticized the DSWD's supposed refusal to provide LGUs with its list of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries.
"Open data naman po ito, magkakaroon ng data ang LGU, copy furnished din kami. 'Yung list na sa amin ngayon ilalabas din po namin. Yung listahan na nasa amin ay ganun din po ang listahan na meron din ang ating mga LGUs," Bautista said in a radio interview.
"This is an open data, the LGUs will have its data, we will be furnished with a copy. The list that we have now, we will release it. The list that we have is the same list with that of LGUs. )
Cayetano on Sunday bared that the DSWD purportedly refused to give the list of 4Ps beneficiaries, which he said, would only further delay the distribution of the emergency subsidy to some 18 million low-income households in the country.
The Taguig-Pateros representative said he asked his younger brother, Taguig Mayor Lino Cayetano, and even Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso to confirm whether or not the DSWD refuses to give their 4Ps list to them and they "agree."
Bautista noted that some LGUs have committed to further validate their list of beneficiaries.
"Gusto nilang makapagfocus the validation ng kanilang mga target beneficiaries. Sabi nila kahit magkadagdag tayo ng araw basta ang mahalaga ay mavalidate nang mabuti ang target beneficiary kasi people's money ito kaya dapat po meron pong transparency and accountability," he said.
(They want to focus on the validation of the target beneficiaries. They say even if that would mean additional day, it is important that the target beneficiary is carefully validated because this is people's money, there should be transparency and accountability.)
During the recent "Laging Handa" network briefing, Bautista thanked the people "for their patience and understanding," even as he assured that the government is exhausting all means to ensure that the emergency subsidies will be extended to all qualified and deserving families.
Under Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act, each low-income household is entitled to receive an emergency subsidy ranging from P5,000 to P8,000 per month for two months.