DSWD includes barangay tanods in gov't's cash subsidy program
Published Apr 16, 2020 12:00 am
By Charissa Luci-Atienza
Good news for all barangay tanods.
Department of Social Welfare and Development (MANILA BULLETIN)
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced on Thursday (April 16) that barangay tanods will be included in the government's Social Amelioration Program (SAP).
DSWD Undersecretary Camilo Gudmalin said considering the financial plight of barangay tanods, DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista decided to modify the department's omnibus guidelines to include them as eligible beneficiaries of SAP.
He said compared to barangay health workers (BHWs) who receive benefits under the Magna Carta for Health Workers, barangay tanods only receive measly honoraria.
"Sa pagkonsulta natin sa Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), napagpasyahan ng ating secretary na i-modify ang ating omnibus guidelines para mapasama na ang barangay tanod dito sa Social Amelioration Program," he said in a virtual press briefing.
(Upon our consultation with the DILG, our secretary has decided to modify our omnibus guidelines to include barangay tanods in the Social Amelioration Program.)
However, he said BHWs are not qualified to receive the emergency subsidy given the benefits.
"'Yung ating mga health workers, dahil nakasama sila sa Magna Carta for Health workers, at nabigyan sila ng malaking sahod or honorarium, hindi sila mapabilang dito sa Social Amelioriation Program," Gudmalin said.
(Our health workers are covered by Magna Carta for Health workers, and they are given big salary or honorarium, they cannot be included in the social amelioriation program.)
Gudmalin noted the increasing number of low-income households that have received their emergency subsidies.
He said as of April 15, at least P1.5 billion has been distributed to 282,964 families.
He noted that as of 8 p.m., April 15, DSWD transferred P67.5 billion SAP funds to 1,228 local government units (LGUs), or 83 percent of the P80 billion downloaded by DSWD Central Office to its regional offices on April 3 for distribution to non-4Ps SAP beneficiaries, numbering about 13.556 million households.
"Sa pondong ito, may 282,964 low-income non-Pantawid Pamilya families na nakatanggap ng subsidiya na nagkakahalaga na P1.5 billion. Tuloy-tuloy ang pamamahagi ng ayuda, at lalo pa nadagdagan na ang local government units na nabigyan na ng pondo," he said in a virtual press briefing.
(From these funds, there are 282,964 low-income non-Pantawid Pamilya families who received the subsidy amounting to P1.5 billion. The distribution of aid continues, especially now that more local government units have been given funds.)
Gudmalin said the DSWD through its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program has provided P67.5 million worth of medical and burial assistance to 14,096 clients who "have COVID-related concerns."
He also assured the public that the DSWD continues to provide relief assistance to LGUs that need augmentation support to respond to the needs of their constituents.
He said the DSWD has distributed 400,201 family food packs (FFPs) worth about P156 million nationwide.
In a statement, the DSWD said it allowed the immediate distribution of the emergency subsidies to the beneficiaries even before the validation process.
The department said it revised its existing guidelines to "expedite" the distribution of the P5,000 to P8,000 cash aid to the beneficiaries amid observations that the validation process of beneficiaries is causing the delay in the provision of the emergency subsidy.
Gudmalin explained that should there be any duplication after the DSWD's validation, the names that were duplicated "will no longer be able to avail the social amelioration in the succeeding month."
The DSWD said under its amended guidelines, the validation of beneficiaries will be conducted after the payout of the subsidies.
"Thus, local government units may proceed with the distribution of the cash aid within 24 hours upon receipt of the funds from the department," it said.
"The DSWD will conduct validation within 15 days from receipt of documents from the LGUs that support the completion of the distribution of the emergency subsidies. The validation is vital to detect the duplication of assistance and to ascertain the eligibility of the beneficiaries," it noted.
Gudmalin said the list of those left out, or those eligible beneficiaries who are not included in the SAP, will be forwarded to the economic managers for evaluation, referring to the Department of Finance (DOF) and Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Gudmalin also said the 4Ps beneficiaries who do not have cash cards will soon receive their grants.
He said the funds have been transferred to the field offices, which have already prepared the payroll system for the distribution of cash grants.
He added that indigent senior citizens will also soon receive their pension.
Department of Social Welfare and Development (MANILA BULLETIN)
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced on Thursday (April 16) that barangay tanods will be included in the government's Social Amelioration Program (SAP).
DSWD Undersecretary Camilo Gudmalin said considering the financial plight of barangay tanods, DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista decided to modify the department's omnibus guidelines to include them as eligible beneficiaries of SAP.
He said compared to barangay health workers (BHWs) who receive benefits under the Magna Carta for Health Workers, barangay tanods only receive measly honoraria.
"Sa pagkonsulta natin sa Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), napagpasyahan ng ating secretary na i-modify ang ating omnibus guidelines para mapasama na ang barangay tanod dito sa Social Amelioration Program," he said in a virtual press briefing.
(Upon our consultation with the DILG, our secretary has decided to modify our omnibus guidelines to include barangay tanods in the Social Amelioration Program.)
However, he said BHWs are not qualified to receive the emergency subsidy given the benefits.
"'Yung ating mga health workers, dahil nakasama sila sa Magna Carta for Health workers, at nabigyan sila ng malaking sahod or honorarium, hindi sila mapabilang dito sa Social Amelioriation Program," Gudmalin said.
(Our health workers are covered by Magna Carta for Health workers, and they are given big salary or honorarium, they cannot be included in the social amelioriation program.)
Gudmalin noted the increasing number of low-income households that have received their emergency subsidies.
He said as of April 15, at least P1.5 billion has been distributed to 282,964 families.
He noted that as of 8 p.m., April 15, DSWD transferred P67.5 billion SAP funds to 1,228 local government units (LGUs), or 83 percent of the P80 billion downloaded by DSWD Central Office to its regional offices on April 3 for distribution to non-4Ps SAP beneficiaries, numbering about 13.556 million households.
"Sa pondong ito, may 282,964 low-income non-Pantawid Pamilya families na nakatanggap ng subsidiya na nagkakahalaga na P1.5 billion. Tuloy-tuloy ang pamamahagi ng ayuda, at lalo pa nadagdagan na ang local government units na nabigyan na ng pondo," he said in a virtual press briefing.
(From these funds, there are 282,964 low-income non-Pantawid Pamilya families who received the subsidy amounting to P1.5 billion. The distribution of aid continues, especially now that more local government units have been given funds.)
Gudmalin said the DSWD through its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program has provided P67.5 million worth of medical and burial assistance to 14,096 clients who "have COVID-related concerns."
He also assured the public that the DSWD continues to provide relief assistance to LGUs that need augmentation support to respond to the needs of their constituents.
He said the DSWD has distributed 400,201 family food packs (FFPs) worth about P156 million nationwide.
In a statement, the DSWD said it allowed the immediate distribution of the emergency subsidies to the beneficiaries even before the validation process.
The department said it revised its existing guidelines to "expedite" the distribution of the P5,000 to P8,000 cash aid to the beneficiaries amid observations that the validation process of beneficiaries is causing the delay in the provision of the emergency subsidy.
Gudmalin explained that should there be any duplication after the DSWD's validation, the names that were duplicated "will no longer be able to avail the social amelioration in the succeeding month."
The DSWD said under its amended guidelines, the validation of beneficiaries will be conducted after the payout of the subsidies.
"Thus, local government units may proceed with the distribution of the cash aid within 24 hours upon receipt of the funds from the department," it said.
"The DSWD will conduct validation within 15 days from receipt of documents from the LGUs that support the completion of the distribution of the emergency subsidies. The validation is vital to detect the duplication of assistance and to ascertain the eligibility of the beneficiaries," it noted.
Gudmalin said the list of those left out, or those eligible beneficiaries who are not included in the SAP, will be forwarded to the economic managers for evaluation, referring to the Department of Finance (DOF) and Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Gudmalin also said the 4Ps beneficiaries who do not have cash cards will soon receive their grants.
He said the funds have been transferred to the field offices, which have already prepared the payroll system for the distribution of cash grants.
He added that indigent senior citizens will also soon receive their pension.