The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has welcomed the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing that 72 percent of Filipinos got cash aid from the national government since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, describing it as a testament that the agency reached out to most affected families amid the threats of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista said the SWS survey, which was conducted from July 3 to 6 among 1,555 respondents, proved that the agency is not remiss in its duty of delivering social protection programs to the households most affected by the pandemic.
The SWS survey, released on Sunday, showed that seven out of 10 families received financial assistance from the government since the start of the health crisis.
“Ang ulat ng SWS (The SWS survey) ay nagpapatotoo sa (affirms ) layunin (the objective) ng (of the) Social Amelioration Program na tugunan ang pangunahing pangangailangan ng low-income na pamilya sa panahon ng krisis na ito (to respond to the basic needs of low-income families in this time of crisis). Nagpapatunay ito (This proves) na naabot na natin ang (that we have reached) pamilyang (the families) lubos na nangangailangan ng tulong (who are in dire need of help), bagamat kinakailangan pa na madagdagan (but we still have to augment) upang lahat ng pamilyang mahihirap ay mapapagsilbihan (so that all poor families will be served),” he told reporters in a recent virtual press briefing.
"Ito ang dahilan (This is the reason) kung bakit nagkaroon tayo ng karagdagang mga pamilya o waitlisted (why we have additional waitlisted families) upang matiyak (to ensure) na mabibigyan ng kaukulang tulong ang mga lubos na nangangailangan (that the most needy will get the appropriate assistance) at masiguro na (and to ensure) walang pamilyang hindi mapapaglingkuran (no families will not be served),” he said.
He noted that those beneficiaries who were not included in the SAP may receive other assistance from the DSWD, the local government, and other government agencies.
According to the SWS survey, the most mentioned sources of financial aid were as follows: the DSWD, the SAP of the DSWD, local government units (LGUs), and the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
The pollster asked the respondents whose households received cash grants from the government to identify the branch or government agency which extended the financial assistance.
At the top of the list was the DSWD at 41 percent, followed by the DSWD’s SAP at 28 percent, LGUs at 14 percent, and the 4Ps at 11 percent, the SWS said.
Elated by the SWS survey, Bautista expressed the DSWD’s unwavering commitment to continuously deliver its social protection services to the country’s poor.
“Gusto ko lang na bigyan diin (I would like to emphasize) na sa kabila ng mga hamon (that despite the challenges) ay nanatiling committed ang DSWD (the DSWD remains committed) sa ating mandatong (in its mandate) makapaglingkod (to serve) at makapaghatid ng ayuda (and to deliver aid) sa ating mga kababayang nangangailangan (to our most needy countrymen) lalo na sa gitna ng pandemyang ito (especially in the middle of this pandemic),” he said.
Read more: 70% of Filipinos received COVID-19 financial aid from gov’t – survey