By Charissa Luci-Atienza
An executive order is being drafted to cover the implementation of the second wave of emergency subsidies under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rolando Bautista disclosed on Monday (May 4).
DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista
(PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN)
He said the Inter-agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) already approved a resolution regarding the second phase implementation of the SAP and forwarded this to the Office of the President (OP) for its approval.
"Nagkaroon ng resolusyon ang IATF na ifo-forward ito sa Office of the President at dun pa lang natin malalaman kung ano ang nagdagdag at kung ano ang magiging konsepto," Bautista said in radio interview when asked if the same beneficiary-families will receive the second tranche of the cash aid.
(IATF has come up with a resolution that will be forwarded to the Office of the President. Once this has been approved and issued, we will know if there are additional features and what will be the concept of implementation.)
Bautista said he cannot divulge yet the details of the resolution.
He said it will be Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque who will announce the guidelines on the second phase of the SAP.
"Hinihintay pa yata 'yung approval ng OP, may drina-draft kasi na EO (executive order) relative dito sa second phase of the implementation of the Social Amelioration Program. (It is awaiting the approval of OP. An EO is being drafted relative to the second phase of the implementation of the Social Amelioration Program.)," he said.
Bautista asked the LGUs to expedite the distribution of SAP as some six million low-income families have yet to receive their cash aid.
He said P65.2 billion has been distributed to 12 million beneficiaries nationwide.
"As a whole, kasama na yung 4Ps at yung mga transport drivers, umaabot na tayo sa P65.2 billion na naipahatid na sa mahigit na 12 million benepisyaryo ng Social Amelioration Program," he said.
(As a whole, including the 4Ps and transport drivers, we have distributed P65.2 billion to 12 million beneficiaries of the Social Amelioration Program.)
Of the total amount, more than P48 billion SAP funds have been given to non-Pantawid Pamilya families, he said.
He said P80.8 billion SAP funds have been downloaded to the LGUs.
Bautista reminded anew the LGUs that the second tranche of cash assistance will be given to them after the DSWD's "full and total validation" of their liquidation reports.
He noted that LGUs, particularly in the National Capital Region (NCR), Cavite, Bulacan, Davao, and Cebu have been given a seven-day extension to distribute the cash aid.
Bautista encouraged to start submitting their partial liquidation reports so that the DSWD can begin validating their documents.