The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) expressed gratitude Tuesday to the Department of the Interior and Local Government and Philippine National Police (PNP)-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) for running after the erring local officials who were involved in the anomalous distribution of emergency cash subsidy under the national government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP).
(MANILA BULLETIN)
DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista said the agency will never tolerate any irregularities in the implementation of the SAP.
“Nakakalungkot na mayroong nakasuhan sa implementasyon ng SAP, ngunit hindi kinatigan ng ating ahensiya ang anumang maling gawain lalo pa kung ito ay salungat sa sinusulong ng ahensya para sa mahihirap at nangangailangan (It is saddening that there were officials who were charged in the implementation of SAP, but the agency never tolerated any wrongdoings, especially if it is against our objective to help the poor and the needy),” he said in a virtual press briefing, after some 89 barangay chairmen around the country have been placed on six-month preventive suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) over their involvement in anomalous distribution of SAP.
“Lubos ang pasasalamat ng DSWD sa DILG, CIDG and PNP sa pagtulong sa ating ahensiya upang masugpo ang maling gawain at maparusahan ang mga lumalabag sa umiiral na batas (The DSWD is wholeheartedly thanking the DILG, CIDG, and PNP for helping out our agency to fight these irregularities, and ensure that those officials who violated the law will be penalized).”
He stressed the significant role of the local chief executives, including the mayors and governors in ensuring that there will be no anomalies in the government’s implementation of social amelioration initiatives.
He said the local government units (LGUs) have been tapped to identify the beneficiaries of SAP since they know their constituents and their socio-economic background.
“Malaki ang gampanin ng lokal na pamahalaan na walang anomalya o iregularidad sa pagpapatupad ng SAP. Mahalaga ang kanilang pagtalima sa panuntunan na ibinabahagi ng DSWD upang matiyak na wasto ang implementasyon ng programa lalo sa pagkilala ng kwalpikadong pamilya na makatanggap ng ayuda (The local government has big role in ensuring that there will be anomalies and irregularities in the implementation of SAP. It is important that they follow the guidelines set by the DSWD to ensure the proper implementation of the program, especially in the identification of families who are qualified to receive the aid),” Bautista said.
Bautista said for the second tranche, the DSWD has distributed more than P82.7 billion worth of SAP 2 aid to more than 13.85 million beneficiaries.
He said around 13, 857, 039 beneficiaries have received their entitled subsidy as provided under the already-lapsed Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act.
The list of latest recipients of the SAP 2 aid also include 1,387,021 beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps); 5,977,484 low-income, and non-4Ps recipients; 3,278, 434 “waitlisted”, low-income, and non-4Ps households nationwide; 1,827, 939 “waitlisted” beneficiaries from ECQ areas;169,939 public utility vehicles (PUVs) and the Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) nationwide; and 72,514 drivers from ECQ areas.
Based on the latest DSWD’s SAP monitoring report, the amount of disbursed SAP subsidy totals P82,723, 373,150.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; and Zamboanga City.