Bayanihan law expiration won’t affect release of SAP aid: Palace

FILE: Local officials and personnel of the Department of Social and Development (DSWD) observe proper distribution of emergency cash subsidies under the government’s Social Amelioration Program to qualified beneficiaries at the Gatid Elementary School in Santa Cruz, Laguna on Monday (May 04, 2020). (PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.)

MANILA – The expiration of Republic Act (RA) 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act would yield no adverse impact on the distribution of cash assistance to poor families affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) outbreak, Malacañang said on Thursday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque gave the assurance in a virtual presser aired on state-run PTV-4 as the validity of RA 11469 ended on Thursday.

“Sa ngayon po, wala namang epekto (As of now, it has no impact),” Roque said. “Hindi naman po sakop iyan (SAP distribution) ng Bayanihan Act (It’s not covered by the Bayanihan Act). It’s a physical act of disbursing what has been allotted by Congress. So wala pong problema iyan (So there will be no problem with that).”

Under RA 11469, the government is mandated to grant emergency subsidies ranging from PHP5,000 to PHP8,000 to about 18 million low-income households who are bearing the brunt of strict quarantine measures implemented to fight Covid-19.

The 18 million poor households living in areas placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in April have already received the first tranche of cash aid under the national government’s social amelioration program (SAP).

On May 22, Malacañang released a memorandum, which states that only 12 million of the 18 million recipients of the first wave of payouts would benefit from the implementation of the second phase of the SAP.

The memorandum also provides that an additional five million poor families who are living in areas under ECQ in May would join the 12 million existing SAP beneficiaries.

The total number of recipients of the second tranche of emergency subsidies is 17 million.

Doing a ‘very good’ job

Roque said he believes the government has done a “very good” job when it comes to distributing the financial assistance to indigent families.

“As far as the assistance to the public is concerned, meron po tayong 12 million beneficiaries, nadagdagan pa ng five million (we have 12 million beneficiaries, plus five million). So we benefitted 17 million on ayuda (assistance). I think we’ve done a very good job,” he said.

Citing updates from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Roque noted that as of June 25, some 1.3 million families who are also beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program have received the SAP aid.

He added that the cash assistance has already been distributed to waitlisted beneficiaries in Baguio City; Kabayan, Benguet; Balaoan, La Union; and Mabalacat, Pampanga.

The distribution of the SAP assistance to waitlisted beneficiaries in “geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas” in Bulacan is ongoing, Roque said.

“Ito po ang mga kabahagi ng limang milyon na mga bagong pangalan (They are among the five million new beneficiaries),” he said.

Malacañang earlier said the second tranche of the SAP would be distributed in Metro Manila; Central Luzon, except Aurora province; Calabarzon; the provinces of Benguet, Pangasinan, Iloilo, Albay, and Cebu; and the cities of Bacolod, Zamboanga, and Davao.

The DSWD, the lead agency tasked to oversee the SAP implementation, admitted on Monday that the stringent validation process of local government units in determining eligible beneficiaries caused major delays in the distribution of the second round of cash aid.