Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Undersecretary Rene Glen Paje said Wednesday they are exhausting all means to ensure that the cash subsidies will be immediately distributed to around 400,000 remaining unserved beneficiaries under the second phase implementation of Social Amelioration Program (SAP 2).
(MANILA BULLETIN)
He gave the assurance during the Laging handa briefing.
The DSWD is targeting to cover 14.1 million beneficiaries for the second tranche distribution of SAP, including waitlisted beneficiaries and drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs) and the Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS).
Paje said the second tranche is continuously being implemented and cash aid is being distributed. He said they have advised the beneficiaries to wait because their complete information is being validated.
Paje noted that over P82 billion worth of SAP 2 aid has been distributed to over 13.7 million beneficiaries or 97 percent of the targeted beneficiaries nationwide.
During a virtual press conference on Tuesday, DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista said the local government units (LGUs) have yet to upload the Social Amelioration Card (SAC) forms of 17, 935 beneficiaries, while around 36, 349 beneficiaries are due for validation.
Paje said the low-income families in Bacolod City, which has been placed under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) from September 8 until September 30, 2020, stand to benefit from SAP 2 as provided under Executive Order No. 112 dated April 30, 2020.
However, he said Lanao del Sur, which was also placed under MECQ, will not benefit from SAP 2 since it was not included in the list of 11 areas to benefit from the cash aid program as provided for by EO 112 and the memorandum, signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on May 2.
The 11 areas covered by SAP 2 are Region III (Central Luzon) , except Aurora province, the NCR; Region IV-A (CALABARZON) ; Benguet; Pangasinan; Iloilo; Cebu Province; Bacolod City; Davao City, Albay province and Zamboanga City.
The DSWD had vowed to complete the SAP distribution within this month.