11,383 waitlisted SAP beneficiaries get aid: DSWD

FILE: Sixty-nine-year old Armando Cruz Prado (sitting), receives PHP8,000 in cash aid from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) during the distribution of cash assistance under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) at Barangay Doña Josefa in Quezon City on Wednesday (April 29, 2020). (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)

MANILA – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has already distributed PHP64.3 million to some 11,383 waitlisted family beneficiaries of the government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP).

DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista announced the latest figure in their online bi-weekly program on Thursday, citing efforts being done to ramp up distribution of assistance.

“Patuloy ang pamamahagi ng SAP cash subsidy ng field offices sa waitlisted beneficiaries sa iba’t-ibang bahagi ng bansa (Our field offices continue to distribute the SAP cash to waitlisted beneficiaries to different parts of the country),” he said.

Bautista said that the term “waitlisted beneficiaries” are those families who applied for the program during the first wave of distribution but were not included in the list.

Most of the waitlisted beneficiaries are living in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas in Cordillera Administrative Region, Region 1 (Ilocos), and Region 3 (Central Luzon).

Including the 1.3 million cash card holders of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pillipino Program (4Ps), the amount distributed for the second wave of assistance reached PHP6.8 billion.

The DSWD will soon release the fund to the non-4Ps beneficiaries after signing a multi-lateral memorandum of agreement with Land Bank of the Philippines and six financial service providers (FSPs) to automate the distribution.

“Mas dadami pa ang makakatanggap ng ayuda sa mga susunod na araw katuwang ang ating FSPs. Nilalayun natin na makapagsawaga ng digital payment bukas at sa susunod na araw (More beneficiaries will receive the aid in the coming days through our FSPs. We are eyeing to start with the digital payment tomorrow (July 3) or in the coming days),” he added.

Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas recommended the partnership of DSWD and FSPs GCash, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), Robinson’s Bank, PayMaya, and Starpay for a swift transaction.

The beneficiaries who registered through the ReliefAgad website will be directed to the most accessible FSP for them.