By Charissa Luci-Atienza
Over 11.3 million poor families, or almost 63 percent of 18 million households targeted to receive cash assistance nationwide, have so far been served by the government's Social Amelioration Program (SAP), the Department of Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Saturday evening (May 2).
DSWD Spokesperson Irene Dumlao said based on their latest monitoring report, more than P60.6 billion in SAP funds have been distributed to over 11.3 million recipients.
"Mahigit P60.6 billion ang na-distribute na po natin sa mahigit na 11.3 million na beneficiaries. In summary, 'yan po ay 62.8 percent of the total 18 million beneficiaries of the Social Amelioration Program," she said in a radio interview.
(We have distributed more than P60.6 billion to over 11.3 million beneficiaries. In summary, that is 62.8 percent of the total 18 million beneficiaries of the Social Amelioration Program.)
She noted that of the P80 billion SAP funds transferred by the DSWD to the local government units (LGUs), P43.9 billion has been given to over 7.5 million low-income and non-Pantawid Pamilya families.
Of the total number of SAP recipients, 84,000 are beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) who are not cash card holders. The subsidies given to them amounted to P327 million, Dumlao said.
Also included in the list of SAP beneficiaries were 3,738,613 4Ps families who received P16.4 billion worth of emergency subsidies, and 40,418 families of transport network vehicle service (TNVS) and public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers who received a P323 million subsidy allocation.
Under Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act, 18 million low-income households are entitled to receive an emergency subsidy ranging from P5,000 to P8,000, depending on the minimum wage level in a region for two months from April to May.
35 Bakun residents waive SAP slots
Meanwhile, the DSWD commended in a statement the 35 residents of Barangay Gambang in Bakun, Benguet who waived their slots as SAP recipients "to make way for other qualified families."
"The individuals’ families were initially targeted as SAP beneficiaries, but they voluntarily waived their slots prior to validation so that other families in need in their communities would be accommodated in the program," it said.
The 35 Gambang residents are among 2,439 families in the town of Bakun who are set to receive a P5,500 SAP cash subsidy, the DSWD noted.
The total number of SAP recipients in Benguet province is 74,369.