P3.8-B DSWD fund given to Bicol LGUs

LEGAZPI CITY --- The Bicol regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has released 100 percent of the funds for the implementation of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) for non-Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps targets in all the local government units (LGU) of the region.

In an interview on Monday, Apr. 13, Marygizelle Mesa, DSWD regional information officer, said all 114 LGUs in Bicol have received their SAP funds amounting to a total of PHP3.8 billion.

"For Bicol region, the emergency cash subsidy to be given to the 772,287 Non-Pantawid poor families inclusive of the UCT (unconditional cash transfer) under Listahanan 2.0, is P5,000 per month for two months (April and May). While the 315,544 of the 374,627 beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) who have cash cards started receiving their cash subsidies under SAP last Apr. 3 at P3,650 each in addition to their rice subsidy of P600 and health grant of P750 for April," Mesa said.

She added that those Pantawid beneficiaries with no cash cards yet will be scheduled for over-the-counter withdrawal still being negotiated with the Landbank of the Philippine (LBP).

Meanwhile, DSWD-Bicol expressed gratitude to LBP-Legazpi City for facilitating the processing of the fund transfer to the LGU through bank transfer despite its shortened work hours.

DSWD regional director Arnel Garcia, in a separate interview, thanked the LGU, which the agency deputized to expedite the distribution of the cash assistance.

“Ang DSWD din po ay nagpapasalamat sa mga LGU sa inyong kooperasyon at partisipasyon sa programang ito. Inaasahan po namin na gagawin ninyo ang lahat upang maging maayos at mabilis ang pagpapaabot ng tulong pinansyal na ito sa ating mga mamamyan na lubos na nangangailangan ngayong panahon ng krisis,” Garcia said.

The Social Amelioration Program is in the form of emergency cash subsidy intended for the poorest of the poor families affected by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the Bicol region.

These are the families that belong to either the poor or the informal sector, which are not earning a living during this crisis who may have at least one member belonging to any of the vulnerable or disadvantaged sectors such as senior citizens, persons with a disability, pregnant and lactating women, solo parents, overseas Filipinos in distress, indigent indigenous peoples, underprivileged sector and homeless citizens, and informal economy workers. (PNA)