The mayors of Metro Manila want Social Amelioration Program (SAP) funds to be directly transferred to local government units (LGUs) for faster distribution to beneficiaries during the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR) on August 6-20.
This was according to Marikina City Mayor Marcelino “Marcy” Teodoro who attended the Metro Manila mayors meeting on Tuesday night (August 3).
“From DBM (Department of Budget and Management) diretso na sana sa LGUs para hindi magdoble ang download at hindi tumagal ( From the Department of Budget and Management, we hope the funds will be transferred directly to LGUs in order for the download not to double and take more time),” Teodoro said during a radio interview on Wednesday (August 4).
Teodoro noted that Metro Manila mayors want LGUs to handle the distribution to make the process faster than before as LGUs have more personnel than the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The mayors want the distribution to be timely and without any delay, he added.
Teodoro said they do not want to use third party providers due to their negative experience with them the last time aid was coursed through them, ending up in long queues and breach of health and safety protocols.
He also said that LGUs should have the power to amend the Department of Social Welfare and Development's (DSWD) list of Social Amelioration Program (SAP) beneficiaries in order to include more people in need of financial assistance.
The mayor said some people on the DSWD list have died or have relocated thereby emphasizing the need for the list to be updated.
Teodoro also noted that more people lost their jobs due to the pandemic that is why LGUs must be able to add more people to the list of SAP beneficiaries.
He said the 2019 data being used by the DSWD is already outdated.
The Metro Manila mayors are still waiting for an official announcement as to how much financial aid will be distributed during ECQ.