DSWD dead set in distributing P1-B assistance to 64,000 households

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is dead set on distributing the P1-billion worth of livelihood assistance grants (LAGs) to more than 64, 000 low-income households before the year ends as provided under the Bayanihan To Recover As One Act or the Bayanihan 2.

This was according to Negros Oriental 1st District Rep. Jocelyn Sy Limkaichong, vice chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations, who defended the DSWD’s proposed P171.22 billion budget for 2021 on Tuesday night.

“There is a timeline here and this has to be disbursed before the year-end kasi nga cash budgeting tayo (because we use cash budgeting), tapos itong (then this) Bayanihan 2 is intended to be disbursed up to December kaya mabilisan din ang pag-identify nito (so the identification of the beneficiaries must be expedited),” she relayed to her colleagues during the four-hour long deliberations on the DSWD’s spending plan for 2021.

She explained that the P6-billion livelihood program is part of Republic Act No. 11494 or the Bayanihan 2. According to her, the breakdown of the P6-billion livelihood assistance is as follows: P4.75 billion emergency subsidy to affected low-income households in areas under “granular lockdowns”; P1 billion for P15,000 LAG each for 64,633 families; and P250 million for administrative costs.

“The P1 billion under the Bayanihan 2 is intended for 64, 633 families. Each family will receive P15,000 qualified for the program,” Limkaichong said.

“These are families and individuals who are in crisis situation due to COVID, whose livelihood and employment were affected by the community quarantine or continuously being affected by the pandemic,” she added.

She said for a family to avail the LAG, they must be eligible low-income families, they belong to the informal sector, and their livelihood and employment has been affected by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

“This is subject to the submission of their proposals,” noted Limkaichong.

Upon hearing Limkaichong, ACT Teachers partylist Rep. France Castro said it seems that the DSWD is imposing “very stringent” requirement before low-income families could avail the LAG.

Limkaichong insisted the need to properly validate the intended recipients to ensure that only eligible and deserving receive the grant.

“There should validation of the recipients,” she said.

According to her, the proposal is two-page and has a template and that the targeted beneficiaries will be assisted by a project development officer in filling it up.

She said currently, the process of determining the beneficiaries for the LAG is ongoing.

Limkaichong said provincial development officers were already instructed to expedite the validation and identification of the LAG beneficiaries.

“Matagal nang hinihintay ng ating mamamayan ‘yan. Sana po ay pabiilisin natin ang proseso ng livelihood program (Our people have long been waiting for it. I hope we can fast track the process of the livelihood program),” Castro said.

In a virtual press briefing last week, DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista said the agency will publicly disclose this week the guidelines on the implementation of its COVID-19 response and recovery intervention programs, including the distribution of emergency subsidy to affected low-income households in areas under “granular lockdowns” as provided under the Bayanihan 2.

He said the DSWD Field Offices, in coordination with the local government units (LGUs), have started gathering necessary information to identify the beneficiaries.

He clarified that the assistance that will extended by the government under Republic Act No. 11494 of Bayanihan 2 is not an extension of Social Amelioration Program (SAP) under the “Bayanihan to Heal As One Act” or R.A. 11469 or popularly known as Bayanihan 1.