By Marie Tonette Marticio
TACLOBAN CITY – At least 30,000 families not qualified for the social amelioration program (SAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Eastern Samar province will receive cash assistance from the provincial government.
Eastern Samar Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone
(Photo courtesy of BEN Evardone: Congressman Han Sinirangan Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN)
Governor Ben Evardone has required all 22 municipalities and one city to submit the list of families per village not included in the distribution of the cash assistance from the national government
"The provincial government will be giving P2,000 to all households which did not receive the P5,000 social amelioration fund," he announced during a meeting of the Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 recently.
The governor said the financial aid excludes recipients of other emergency subsidy programs such as Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the expanded Survival and Recovery Assistance program (SURE Aid) of the Department of Agriculture, and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) members.
"Since Brgy. Tanods and Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) will be receiving P1,500 each, they will only receive an additional P500. The Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) will also receive P800 in addition to their P1,200 incentive from the province," he added.
The governor said the initiative of the provincial government is separate from the DSWD program.
At least 39,500 poor families have already received the P5,000 financial assistance as of May 6 in Eastern Samar affected by the general community quarantine being implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic.