By Mike Crismundo
BUTUAN CITY – The city government of Butuan started the distribution of cash assistance to 50, 932 households on Thursday, April 16.
Butuan Mayor Ronnie Vicente R. Lagnada
(Butuan City PIO / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
The households were from the different 86 urban and rural barangays here.
The cash assistance of P5,000 per household, also known as the Social Amelioration Program (SAP), came from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The assistance was brought directly to the homes of the non-Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries.
Due to the new Omnibus Guidelines released early this week on who can only avail of the cash assistance, City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) has validated again the beneficiaries of the SAP. This was reportedly the cause of the delay of the release.
Butuan City Mayor Ronnie Vicente C. Lagnada has directed all offices of the city government involved to fast-track all processes for the immediate distribution of the cash assistance.
The 15,046 Pantawid beneficiaries which will also be receiving P5,000 will get their cash assistance straight from their cash cards.
Butuan City has a total of 65,978 beneficiaries of the SAP.
The officials of the city government of Butuan, along with the generous members of the private sector, are also preparing for their own distribution of goods.
This will be in addition to the SAP of the national government. Lagnada has instructed the release of these goods after the cash assistance has been released to ensure the steady supply of food on our tables.
The city chief executive asked Butuanons to patiently wait for the assistance extended to them.
“Please, just stay calm and stay at your home to avert the spread of the deadly Coronavirus 1019 pandemic,” stressed Mayor Lagnada, adding “the government assistance will come to you”.