DSWD says only 104 out of 1,632 LGUs completed SAP distribution

FILE: Residents of Barangay Vitalez in Parañaque City display the PHP8,000 cash assistance they received during the house-to-house delivery led by Presidential Peace Adviser, Secretary Carlito Galvez, the chief implementer of the government’s national policy on addressing the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)

Only more than 100 local government units (LGUs) in the country have so far completed the distribution of financial assistance to low-income families who are beneficiaries of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced.

Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista earlier said that as of April 29, there were only 104 out of 1,632 LGUs that have conducted 100 percent payouts.

During the Laging Handa Network Briefing on Friday, May 1, DSWD Spokesperson Irene Dumlao noted that some of these 104 LGUs have yet to submit completed liquidation reports on the SAP implementation. She said the LGUs who have submitted their reports only include Adams in Ilocos Norte, Jordan and Buenavista in Guimaras, E.B. Magalona in Negros Occidental, Suluk in Davao del Sur, Saragona in Davao del Sur, Pandi and San Miguel in Bulacan.

Under the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act, around 18 million poor families will be granted cash aids ranging from P5,000 to P8,000, depending on the minimum wage in their region, for two months.

Dumlao noted that the DSWD has distributed more than P80-billion of the SAP funds to 1,515 LGUs. She added that a total of P54.38-billion of social amelioration aid has been released to more than 10 million SAP beneficiaries.

Of this amount, more than P16 million were given to more than 3.

7 million beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) who are cash cardholders, while more than P77 million were granted to 16,730 4Ps beneficiaries who do not have cash card accounts.

Meanwhile, more than P37.6 billion cash assistance was provided by the LGUs to 6.4 million low-income non-4Ps beneficiaries. More than P323 million was also disbursed to more than 40,000 transport network vehicle service (TNVS) and public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Bautista said on the Thursday briefing that they ‘trust’ the LGUs to implement the SAP.

“From the start, nagkaroon na po tayo ng mga konsultasyon para sa ating mga LGU, legislators at iba pang sektor ng ating lipunan para ma-ensure natin talaga na iyong dapat na intended na ayuda para sa ating mga kababayan ay makarating sa kanila (From the start, we had consultations with the LGUs, legislators, and other sectors of our society to ensure that the assistance intended for the Filipino people will be given to them),” he stressed.

Malacañang previously warned that those local officials who will fail to distribute cash subsidies to the poor families could face charges.