By Warren Elijah Valdez
DAVAO CITY - The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has allocated P113.9 million budget for the identified beneficiaries of the national government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP) and another P21 million for the pension of senior citizens affected by the enhanced community quarantine in Mati City in the province of Davao Oriental.
A total of 18,985 beneficiaries in the city of Mati have been identified by the DSWD to receive the SAP cash assistance amounting to P6,000, while around 7,110 senior citizens in the city will be receiving their six-month worth of pension amounting to P3,000.
In cooperation with the barangay officials, the DSWD has already covered 70% of its validation of the master list of potential beneficiaries.
Upon the submission of the master list to the DSWD, the agency will then conduct cross-matching with other national agencies to further screen the beneficiaries to validate if there are no beneficiaries receiving multiple assistance.
This week, the agency will start releasing the SAP fund primarily to the geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas like barangays Lanca, Luban, and Cabuaya with around 400 family beneficiaries.
The city government of Mati said on Wednesday that it hopes to cover the other barangays before the end of April.
“The master list of SAP beneficiaries will be conspicuously posted in every barangays so that the people will be aware,” the city government said.
Beneficiaries of the SAP found to have lied on their social amelioration card or caught using the financial assistance in buying liquor, illegal drugs, and gambling will be asked to return the money and will no longer receive any assistance from the government in the future.