DSWD urges 400 LGUs to complete SAP distribution
Published May 20, 2020 12:00 am
By Charissa Luci-Atienza
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) asked on Wednesday, May 20 the remaining 400 local government units (LGUs) to use their "alternative plans" to expeditiously distribute the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) emergency subsidy to their constituent-beneficiaries.
DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista
(PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN) DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista called on the LGUs to fast track the SAP distribution so as not to delay the second wave of cash subsidies, even as he disclosed that 1,234 or 75.5 percent of 1,634 LGUs have completed their payouts. "Gusto ko pasalamatan ang ating lokal na pamahalaan na talagang walang pagod sa pagbibigay ng ayuda. Pero ang aking request sana ay madaliin natin, tapusin na ang pagbibigay ng ayuda ng Social Amelioration Program. Kasi ang implication nyan, pag nagkaron po tayo ng delay,hindi po kayo makapagliquidate, may domino effect po," he said at the "Laging Handa" network briefing on Wednesday. (I would like to thank our local government that are untiringly distributing the cash assistance. But, my request is I hope they will fast track, they will complete the distribution of the Social Amelioration Program aid. The implication is that, if there is delay, you cannot liquidate, there is domino effect.) He explained that the liquidation reports that will be submitted by the LGUs will be validated first by the Field Offices (FOs), and then will be forwarded to the Central Office for validation. "Ibig sabihin 'yung validation hindi lang 10 to 15 days yan, aabot po ng 20 days kasi kailangan dito walang madodoble o walang additional na ayuda galing sa ibang ahensya," Bautista said. (It means that the validation will not only take 10 to 15 days, but it will take longer to 20 days because we have to check that the assistance is not doubled or there is no additional assistance from other agencies.) Under DSWD guidelines, the LGUs are required to submit the liquidation and financial reporting documents, including the list of encoded SAP beneficiaries, to the DSWD within 15 days from the completion of the distribution. Bautista took opportunity to ask high-risk areas and COVID-19 affected areas to use their "alternative plans to distribute the SAP aid on time." He noted that 472 LGUs already submitted their complete liquidation reports, while 166 LGUs are expected to submit their liquidation reports. Based on their latest SAP monitoring report, the DSWD chief said more than P98.12 billion worth of emergency subsidies have been distributed to over 17.36 million SAP beneficiaries nationwide. He noted that the number of SAP beneficiaries is "96.49 percent" of the 18 million low-income households targeted to receive the SAP cash aid as provided under Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. Bautista said they are waiting for Malacañang's "written" order or a"memorandum circular" before they proceed with the second phase implementation of SAP. He said the Office of the President' directive will serve as basis in crafting the implementing guidelines for the second tranche. Last week, President Duterte directed the DSWD to lead the SAP distribution following the snowballing complaints against the purported irregularities in the release of emergency subsidies. Bautista earlier said around 11.1 million low-income families are expected to receive the second wave of cash aid. He said the five million "leftout" beneficiaries who were not included in the master list of beneficiaries for the April emergency subsidies, but are eligible; and the initial SAP beneficiaries in areas which remain under ECQ will be prioritized when the agency distributes the emergency subsidies. The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), under Resolution No. 37, has placed Cebu City and Mandaue City under ECQ. While, National Capital Region (NCR), Laguna, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Zambales, and Angeles City have been placed under modified ECQ until May 31, based on the IATF resolution.
DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista(PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN) DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista called on the LGUs to fast track the SAP distribution so as not to delay the second wave of cash subsidies, even as he disclosed that 1,234 or 75.5 percent of 1,634 LGUs have completed their payouts. "Gusto ko pasalamatan ang ating lokal na pamahalaan na talagang walang pagod sa pagbibigay ng ayuda. Pero ang aking request sana ay madaliin natin, tapusin na ang pagbibigay ng ayuda ng Social Amelioration Program. Kasi ang implication nyan, pag nagkaron po tayo ng delay,hindi po kayo makapagliquidate, may domino effect po," he said at the "Laging Handa" network briefing on Wednesday. (I would like to thank our local government that are untiringly distributing the cash assistance. But, my request is I hope they will fast track, they will complete the distribution of the Social Amelioration Program aid. The implication is that, if there is delay, you cannot liquidate, there is domino effect.) He explained that the liquidation reports that will be submitted by the LGUs will be validated first by the Field Offices (FOs), and then will be forwarded to the Central Office for validation. "Ibig sabihin 'yung validation hindi lang 10 to 15 days yan, aabot po ng 20 days kasi kailangan dito walang madodoble o walang additional na ayuda galing sa ibang ahensya," Bautista said. (It means that the validation will not only take 10 to 15 days, but it will take longer to 20 days because we have to check that the assistance is not doubled or there is no additional assistance from other agencies.) Under DSWD guidelines, the LGUs are required to submit the liquidation and financial reporting documents, including the list of encoded SAP beneficiaries, to the DSWD within 15 days from the completion of the distribution. Bautista took opportunity to ask high-risk areas and COVID-19 affected areas to use their "alternative plans to distribute the SAP aid on time." He noted that 472 LGUs already submitted their complete liquidation reports, while 166 LGUs are expected to submit their liquidation reports. Based on their latest SAP monitoring report, the DSWD chief said more than P98.12 billion worth of emergency subsidies have been distributed to over 17.36 million SAP beneficiaries nationwide. He noted that the number of SAP beneficiaries is "96.49 percent" of the 18 million low-income households targeted to receive the SAP cash aid as provided under Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. Bautista said they are waiting for Malacañang's "written" order or a"memorandum circular" before they proceed with the second phase implementation of SAP. He said the Office of the President' directive will serve as basis in crafting the implementing guidelines for the second tranche. Last week, President Duterte directed the DSWD to lead the SAP distribution following the snowballing complaints against the purported irregularities in the release of emergency subsidies. Bautista earlier said around 11.1 million low-income families are expected to receive the second wave of cash aid. He said the five million "leftout" beneficiaries who were not included in the master list of beneficiaries for the April emergency subsidies, but are eligible; and the initial SAP beneficiaries in areas which remain under ECQ will be prioritized when the agency distributes the emergency subsidies. The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), under Resolution No. 37, has placed Cebu City and Mandaue City under ECQ. While, National Capital Region (NCR), Laguna, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Zambales, and Angeles City have been placed under modified ECQ until May 31, based on the IATF resolution.