DSWD’s budget increased for next year, but no funding allocation for SAP

Despite its recorded four-percent increase in its proposed budget for 2021, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Sunday (Sept. 13) that it has no funding allocation for the cash subsidies for low-income families next year. 

DSWD Undersecretary Rene Glen Paje said the DSWD’s budget for next year increased by 4.45 percent from this year’s  budget of P162.09 billion. However, under its proposed 2021 budget, there is no funding provision for the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) 

"Ang budget po na hiniling natin ay nadagdagan nang konti for 2021. Base sa ating National Expenditure Program, ay nasa P169.29 billion mas mataas ng 4.45 percent po, 'yung budget sa 2020 ay P162. 09 billion po,” he told the DZBB in an interview. 

(The budget we've asked has been slightly increased for 2021. Based on the National Expenditure Program, this amounted to P169.29 billion, higher by 4.45 percent from the 2020 budget of P162.09 billion.)

“'Yung ating mga programs ay tuloy tuloy po next year, kaya lang po wala tayong provision ng SAP next year dahil sa ating programming, ang expectation ay on the way to recovery ang ating bansa,” Paje said.

(Our programs will continue next year, though we don’t have SAP provision next year because in our programming, the expectation is that the  country is on the way to recovery.) 

Among the DSWD's regular programs are the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), Social Pension program, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps),  relief augmentation support to the local government units (LGUs), and the supplementary feeding program. 

According to him, the social protection programs of the DSWD have been given higher allocations for next year. However, he does not elaborate the details of the increased funding allocations.

On the second tranche distribution of SAP, Paje said they are closely coordinating with their partner-financial service providers (FSPs) to expedite the digital payouts. 

Based on the DSWD’s latest SAP monitoring report, the number of SAP 2 recipients increased to 13, 853, 942, receiving over P82.7 billion worth of emergency cash subsidies, as of 8 p.m., Sept. 12.