DSWD assures enough funds to implement 2nd wave of emergency subsidies
Published Apr 27, 2020 12:00 am
By Charissa Luci-Atienza
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assured the public on Monday that it has enough funds to implement the second wave of emergency subsidies in areas affected by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
Department of Social Welfare and Development
(MANILA BULLETIN) DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista said beneficiaries in ECQ areas will continue to receive cash aid from the government under its Social Amelioration Program (SAP), after the ECQ has been extended for another two weeks or until May 15. "Sapat ang pondo para dito sa dalawang buwan na pamamahagi ng SAP. Sakop ng implementasyon ng SAP ang buwan ng Mayo kaya naman ngayong extended and enhanced community quarantine sa maraming lugar, makakaasa ang ating mga kababayan na tuloy na apektado ng crisis na mayroon silang matatanggap na tulong mula sa ating pamahalaan," he said during the "Laging Handa" briefing aired on state-run PTV-4 on Monday. (The funds are enough for the two-month distribution of SAP. The SAP implementation covers the month of May. Since the enhanced community quarantine has been extended in many areas, our people who are affected by the crisis can expect continued assistance from our government.) Bautista gave the assurance after he was quoted as saying that the SAP budget "for the succeeding days for the ECQ is running short." In a television interview on Sunday, Bautista said he personally thinks that one of the reasons behind the non-implementation of the cash subsidy in areas which are under general community quarantine is the depleting SAP funds. Under Republic Act No. 11469, the "Bayanihan to Heal As One Act," 18-million low-income households are entitled to receive emergency subsidy ranging from P5,000 to P8,000 for two months starting April. During the "Laging Handa" briefing, Bautista noted that as of April 26, the DSWD has downloaded more than P80 billion SAP funds to 1,514 local government units (LGUs) out of the total 1,632 LGUs in the country. He said some P37 billion worth of emergency subsidies have been distributed to almost 7.3 million SAP beneficiaries nationwide or in 17 regions. Of the total amount, P20.3 billion has been distributed to 3.5 million low-income and non-Pantawid Pamilya families. Bautista said a total of 7,874 beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) with no cash cards also received their emergency subsidies amounting to P323.3 million. He assured that the distribution of subsidies will continue, as more than 97.13 percent of the SAP funds has been downloaded to the LGUs. On April 3, the DSWD Central Office has transferred P80,877,140,500 to its Regional Offices for distribution to non-4Ps SAP beneficiaries numbering to 13.556 million households. Bautista said among the "challenges" cited by their Field Offices in the implementation of SAP are some LGUs with high number of COVID infections opted to delay the distribution; there were frontliners who have contracted the disease; and some areas are geographically-isolated and disadvantaged and need the air assets of the Philippine Air Force. "Hindi agad ma-implement ang payout talaga dahil ang lugar ay infected ng COVID, mismong local pamahalaan na nagsabi wag muna dyan," he said. (The payout is not immediately implemented because the area is COVID-infected. It's the local government itself that said that the distribution should be shelved.) "May frontliners na nainfect kaya ang mga kasamahan nila sa pagbibigay ng ayuda ay kelangan din i-quarantine. Short of saying talagang nababawasan ang workforce sa ground dahil sa nagkakahawaan," he added. (There are frontliners who got infected that is why their co-workers must also undergo quarantine. Short of saying, the workforce on the ground has been depleted because there was transmission of the disease.) Bautista warned against those who resorted to fraudulent means to receive the subsidy, following reports that some who received aid were already dead. He encouraged the public to lodge their complaints and report erring ineligible beneficiaries to their respective local social welfare and development offices. "Kung sinuman po na nakatanggap or nameke ay meron po syang responsibilidad na isoli ang pera at maari rin po syang makasuhan na administratibo or criminal liability," he said. (For those who received the subsidy through illegal means, he has the responsibility to return the aid and administrative or criminal liability will be lodged against him.) Bautista said the inter-agency technical working group on social amelioration program is flexing its muscles to come up with the guidelines on the implementation of the second tranche of SAP subsidy. He said that aside from the DSWD, sitting at the TWG group as members are the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Finance (DOF),and Department of Budget and Management (DBM). He assured that the new guidelines will be "aligned and consistent" with RA 11469 and will be presented to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) for its approval. Bautista said the LGUs already submitted the list of eligible beneficiaries who were not included in the first wave of cash aid. With the re-prioritization of the SAP implementation in ECQ areas, those who did not receive the first tranche of cash aid this month will be given assistance, he said. "The numbers will serve as a data for our economic planners to source out additional budget intended for those who were not given the first month of social amelioration program. But with the new development now, on our assessment, those who were not given the first month nationwide will be provided. Of course, some of the amount will be given in priority ECQ areas," he said. Bautista asked for the people's "patience, understanding, and cooperation." "We believe that your City and Municipal Social Welfare Development Offices (C/MSWDOs) are in the best position to determine the poorest households coming from the informal sector who should benefit from this SAP," he said. He also expressed gratitude to "SAP beneficiary-family heroes" who extended assistance to their poor community members. "In Penarrubia, Abra, one 4Ps cluster in Barangay Patiao, led by Parent Leader Dorothy Marcos Magahin, used their funds to help their non-4Ps neighbors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic by dipping into their families’ emergency subsidies to purchase grocery items, including but not limited to canned goods, biscuits, and instant coffee, which they repacked and distributed to more than 35 non-4Ps families," Bautista said. He also cited that in Tuba, Benguet, 4Ps families pooled their social amelioration grant to aid 25 needy constituents in Barangay Tabaan Sur and 25 five food packs are now ready for distribution. He said in Brooke’s Point, Palawan, six individuals have returned their SAP forms to the LGU and informed the DSWD that they received assistance from the Department of Agriculture (DA). "We celebrate the bayanihan spirit of Filipinos, as shown by our Social Amelioration Program (SAP) beneficiary-family heroes, who choose to share their blessings through self sacrifice, to a more needy family, most especially during the COVID-19 pandemic," Bautista said. He also thanked the SAP frontliners from the LGUs and from the DSWD Central and Field Offices "for their courage and commitment to bring the much needed services to those who need them the most" and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), all mayors of the cities and municipalities nationwide and their staff down to the barangay councils, the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) "for ensuring a safe and swift distribution of the SAP."
Department of Social Welfare and Development(MANILA BULLETIN) DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista said beneficiaries in ECQ areas will continue to receive cash aid from the government under its Social Amelioration Program (SAP), after the ECQ has been extended for another two weeks or until May 15. "Sapat ang pondo para dito sa dalawang buwan na pamamahagi ng SAP. Sakop ng implementasyon ng SAP ang buwan ng Mayo kaya naman ngayong extended and enhanced community quarantine sa maraming lugar, makakaasa ang ating mga kababayan na tuloy na apektado ng crisis na mayroon silang matatanggap na tulong mula sa ating pamahalaan," he said during the "Laging Handa" briefing aired on state-run PTV-4 on Monday. (The funds are enough for the two-month distribution of SAP. The SAP implementation covers the month of May. Since the enhanced community quarantine has been extended in many areas, our people who are affected by the crisis can expect continued assistance from our government.) Bautista gave the assurance after he was quoted as saying that the SAP budget "for the succeeding days for the ECQ is running short." In a television interview on Sunday, Bautista said he personally thinks that one of the reasons behind the non-implementation of the cash subsidy in areas which are under general community quarantine is the depleting SAP funds. Under Republic Act No. 11469, the "Bayanihan to Heal As One Act," 18-million low-income households are entitled to receive emergency subsidy ranging from P5,000 to P8,000 for two months starting April. During the "Laging Handa" briefing, Bautista noted that as of April 26, the DSWD has downloaded more than P80 billion SAP funds to 1,514 local government units (LGUs) out of the total 1,632 LGUs in the country. He said some P37 billion worth of emergency subsidies have been distributed to almost 7.3 million SAP beneficiaries nationwide or in 17 regions. Of the total amount, P20.3 billion has been distributed to 3.5 million low-income and non-Pantawid Pamilya families. Bautista said a total of 7,874 beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) with no cash cards also received their emergency subsidies amounting to P323.3 million. He assured that the distribution of subsidies will continue, as more than 97.13 percent of the SAP funds has been downloaded to the LGUs. On April 3, the DSWD Central Office has transferred P80,877,140,500 to its Regional Offices for distribution to non-4Ps SAP beneficiaries numbering to 13.556 million households. Bautista said among the "challenges" cited by their Field Offices in the implementation of SAP are some LGUs with high number of COVID infections opted to delay the distribution; there were frontliners who have contracted the disease; and some areas are geographically-isolated and disadvantaged and need the air assets of the Philippine Air Force. "Hindi agad ma-implement ang payout talaga dahil ang lugar ay infected ng COVID, mismong local pamahalaan na nagsabi wag muna dyan," he said. (The payout is not immediately implemented because the area is COVID-infected. It's the local government itself that said that the distribution should be shelved.) "May frontliners na nainfect kaya ang mga kasamahan nila sa pagbibigay ng ayuda ay kelangan din i-quarantine. Short of saying talagang nababawasan ang workforce sa ground dahil sa nagkakahawaan," he added. (There are frontliners who got infected that is why their co-workers must also undergo quarantine. Short of saying, the workforce on the ground has been depleted because there was transmission of the disease.) Bautista warned against those who resorted to fraudulent means to receive the subsidy, following reports that some who received aid were already dead. He encouraged the public to lodge their complaints and report erring ineligible beneficiaries to their respective local social welfare and development offices. "Kung sinuman po na nakatanggap or nameke ay meron po syang responsibilidad na isoli ang pera at maari rin po syang makasuhan na administratibo or criminal liability," he said. (For those who received the subsidy through illegal means, he has the responsibility to return the aid and administrative or criminal liability will be lodged against him.) Bautista said the inter-agency technical working group on social amelioration program is flexing its muscles to come up with the guidelines on the implementation of the second tranche of SAP subsidy. He said that aside from the DSWD, sitting at the TWG group as members are the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Finance (DOF),and Department of Budget and Management (DBM). He assured that the new guidelines will be "aligned and consistent" with RA 11469 and will be presented to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) for its approval. Bautista said the LGUs already submitted the list of eligible beneficiaries who were not included in the first wave of cash aid. With the re-prioritization of the SAP implementation in ECQ areas, those who did not receive the first tranche of cash aid this month will be given assistance, he said. "The numbers will serve as a data for our economic planners to source out additional budget intended for those who were not given the first month of social amelioration program. But with the new development now, on our assessment, those who were not given the first month nationwide will be provided. Of course, some of the amount will be given in priority ECQ areas," he said. Bautista asked for the people's "patience, understanding, and cooperation." "We believe that your City and Municipal Social Welfare Development Offices (C/MSWDOs) are in the best position to determine the poorest households coming from the informal sector who should benefit from this SAP," he said. He also expressed gratitude to "SAP beneficiary-family heroes" who extended assistance to their poor community members. "In Penarrubia, Abra, one 4Ps cluster in Barangay Patiao, led by Parent Leader Dorothy Marcos Magahin, used their funds to help their non-4Ps neighbors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic by dipping into their families’ emergency subsidies to purchase grocery items, including but not limited to canned goods, biscuits, and instant coffee, which they repacked and distributed to more than 35 non-4Ps families," Bautista said. He also cited that in Tuba, Benguet, 4Ps families pooled their social amelioration grant to aid 25 needy constituents in Barangay Tabaan Sur and 25 five food packs are now ready for distribution. He said in Brooke’s Point, Palawan, six individuals have returned their SAP forms to the LGU and informed the DSWD that they received assistance from the Department of Agriculture (DA). "We celebrate the bayanihan spirit of Filipinos, as shown by our Social Amelioration Program (SAP) beneficiary-family heroes, who choose to share their blessings through self sacrifice, to a more needy family, most especially during the COVID-19 pandemic," Bautista said. He also thanked the SAP frontliners from the LGUs and from the DSWD Central and Field Offices "for their courage and commitment to bring the much needed services to those who need them the most" and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), all mayors of the cities and municipalities nationwide and their staff down to the barangay councils, the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) "for ensuring a safe and swift distribution of the SAP."