E-cash distribution to protect indigents vs. Covid-19: Palace

MANILA – Malacañang said Wednesday it expects beneficiaries of the social amelioration program (SAP) to be less exposed to the risk of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) following the launch of the automated disbursement of cash aid from the national government.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the electronic transfer of cash aid would be more advantageous to indigent families.

In an interview with the morning show Unang Hirit, Roque said SAP recipients would be protected against Covid-19 since they no longer need to endure long queues just to get their monthly emergency subsidy.

“Kasi kapag in-ATM (automated teller machine) po iyan, mapupunta rin sa kanila dahil hindi na kinakailangang pumila. Mas maganda nga po ’yung ATM dahil mas matindi yung problema kapag sila ay nagkumpul-kumpulan para kunin lang ang kanilang ayuda (They can get the cash aid through their ATM without waiting in long queues. That’s better because the problem would get worse if they flock to a designated area just to get the cash aid),” he said.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on May 14 launched the web application “ReliefAgad” to hasten the distribution of financial assistance to poor Filipino families affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

ReliefAgad is a quick-relief system that would enable the DSWD to expedite capturing the details of SAP beneficiaries and distribute cash assistance through an electronic payment system using their smartphones.

The launch of the new web application came as five million poor families were added as beneficiaries of the SAP.

Roque reiterated that the contactless and hassle-free distribution of emergency subsidies under the SAP would only cover beneficiaries residing in the cities.

“‘Yung electronic po, ili-limit po nila iyan sa mga siyudad kasi wala naman pong naging problema doon sa mga probinsya (The electronic [distribution of cash aid] will be limited to cities because there were no problems in provinces),” he said.

ReliefAgad can be accessed through the website reliefagad.ph.

The SAP is the national government’s emergency subsidy program for individuals affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Target SAP beneficiaries are indigent families identified by the DSWD and the local government units (LGUs).

Under the SAP, each eligible beneficiary is entitled to get a monthly emergency subsidy ranging from PHP5,000 to PHP8,000 for April and May.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, during a meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte at Malacañan Palace on Tuesday night, said LGUs have so far disbursed 97 percent of the funds for the implementation of the first phase of the SAP.

The second wave of payouts can only be distributed once LGUs finish their liquidation reports.