The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) vowed Monday night, March 29, to set up a "grievance mechanism" to help ensure the transparent and expeditious distribution of the P23-billion worth of financial aid to around 22.9 million beneficiaries in areas under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista made the assurance during President Duterte’s pre-recorded televised briefing on Monday night, even as he recognized that the implementation of the one-time cash aid “will be on the scrutinizing eyes of the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government).”
“On our side, we will also set up grievance mechanism, although sa level siguro ng (at the level of) LGU, they should also have a grievance mechanism so magkakaron po tayo ng (we will have) check and balance, na pagka ang grievance ay umabot po sa amin (that once we receive the grievance), then we will immediately coordinate with the DILG and at the same time with the local chief executives ,” he said.
President Duterte tasked the DSWD to "do the counterchecking after the distribution of the goods.”
He recalled that when Republic Act No. 11469 or the "Bayanihan to Heal as One Act", popularly known as Bayanihan 1, was implemented, the DILG issued strict guidelines to the LGUs to ensure transparency in the identification of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) recipients.
Bautista said the DILG directed all barangay captains to post the masterlist of target beneficiaries in conspicuous public places in their barangays.
It was in April 2020 when DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año issued the directive calling for the full disclosure of the list of target SAP beneficiaries.
After two weeks, the DSWD also posted the names of the SAP beneficiaries on its website in the spirit of transparency and accountability.
READ: https://mb.com.ph/2020/05/01/dswd-starts-posting-names-of-sap-beneficiaries-on-its-website/
In May 2020, the DSWD set up its new text hotline, 0918-912-2813, and e-mail address, [email protected], to ensure that the snowballing public concerns on the implementation of the SAP will be heard and fully addressed.
READ: https://mb.com.ph/2020/05/02/dswd-sets-up-new-sap-dedicated-text-hotline-email-address/
In August 2020, the DSWD launched its uSAPtayo website to enable the public to report online their grievances on the SAP implementation.
READ: https://mb.com.ph/2020/08/14/dswd-launches-usaptayo-website-for-complaints-on-sap-implementation/
Bayanihan 1 entitled around 18 million low-income households to receive emergency subsidy amounting to P5,000 to P8,000 for two months starting April 2020.
For the first tranche of SAP, the DSWD disbursed P99.9 billion to over 17.6 million family beneficiaries.
For the second tranche, the DSWD has distributed over P87 billion worth of emergency cash subsidies through manual and digital payouts to 14.5 million family-beneficiaries.