By Charissa Luci-Atienza The total number of low-income households that have received their emergency subsidies under the government's Social Amelioration Program (SAP)  now stands at 172,357, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said on Wednesday (April 15). Department of Social Welfare and Development (MANILA BULLETIN) The DSWD said more than P929 million worth of emergency subsidies have been distributed to 172,357 households that are non-beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). "As of press time, 172,357 low-income families nationwide have received their emergency cash assistance ranging from P5,000 to P8,000, computed based on the regional minimum wage rate, utilizing over P929 million," DSWD said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon. The department said it has inked 1,316 memoranda of agreement (MOA)  with cities and municipalities, excluding the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), paving the way for the downloading of SAP funds to the concerned local government units (LGUs). "This is part of the department’s effort to fast-track the distribution of the emergency subsidy under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) for low-income families who have been identified as most affected by the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine amid COVID-19," it said. Undersecretary Camilo Gudmalin told the Manila Bulletin that from April 3 to April 14, DSWD regional offices transferred P59.532 billion to 1,033 LGUs or "74 percent of the P80 billion" downloaded by DSWD Central Office to its regional offices on April 3 for distribution to non-CCT (conditional cash transfer) SAP beneficiaries numbering 13.556 million households. In a statement,  the DSWD said as of April 14,  it has provided 945 LGUs with SAP funds amounting to more than P57 billion, P12.4 billion of which has been given to the 17 LGUs in the National Capital Region (NCR). "The department expects an increase in the number of families receiving their emergency subsidies in the coming days as distribution continues," it said. DSWD thanked the LGUs for their role in facilitating the smooth distribution of the SAP in their respective jurisdictions. From April 3 to 5, more than 3.7 million household-4Ps beneficiaries received their emergency cash subsidies amounting to P16.3 billion. Aside from 4Ps beneficiaries,  around 40,000 families of drivers of transport network vehicle service (TNVS) and public utility vehicles (PUV)  in the NCR also started receiving their subsidies totaling more than P323 million. The DSWD reported that it has provided more than P61 million worth of medical and burial assistance to "13,135 clients with COVID-related concerns" through its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program. It assured the public that it "continues to provide family food packs (FFPs) as augmentation assistance to LGUs to help them respond to the basic needs of their constituents." A total of 386,800 FFPs have been delivered to LGUs nationwide, it said. "DSWD vowed to continue to reach out to the neediest sectors of society, despite enormous challenges during these critical times, taking into consideration the health and safety of its beneficiaries and personnel," it said. "The department also appealed for cooperation and understanding from the public, at the same time, encouraged  the support and unity of all sectors of society, to ensure the speedy delivery of services to our countrymen who need these the most."