MORE than 450 local government units (LGUs) have completed the distribution of the first tranche of the emergency cash subsidy under the Social Amelioration Program of the government, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rolando Bautista said on Tuesday.
Bautista said 459 of 1,589 LGUs nationwide have distributed the April cash aid, of which 38 have submitted their liquidation reports, which is a requirement before the May payout is released by the DSWD.
Bautista said as of 8 pm of May 4, P68.2 billion of the P100 billion SAP allocation had already been received by 12.5 million families or 69.4 percent of the targeted 18 million families.
He said DSWD had already downloaded P80.8 billion of SAP funds to 1,589 LGUs nationwide or 98.63 percent of the P80 billion allocated for poor families but are non-Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino (4Ps) members.
Bautista said guidelines for the payout for the month of May have yet to be approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).
3-DAY EXTENSION
Año has again given a three-day extension to local government units who failed to complete last Monday (May 4) the distribution of the SAP cash assistance.
LGUs were initially given until April 30 deadline to complete the payout of the April tranche of the cash aid that were downloaded by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
However, Metro Manila, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, Bulacan, Cebu City and Davao City were given a seven-day extension or until Thursday as they faced difficulties in the distribution. The rest of the LGUs were given a four-day extension or until last Monday.
“Some of the LGUs were able to comply, some were not so I gave them a leeway. Three days to those who still have big problems,” said Año.
He said he is not keen on extending the Thursday deadline for Metro Manila, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, Bulacan, Cebu City and Davao City. “They need to finish it already because I don’t want to extend it again,” he said.
Año said a total of 828 LGUs have already completed distributing the first tranche of the SAP assistance. He said the next challenge for the LGUs is to liquidate the funds. Malaya said the payout of the SAP assistance is 75 percent complete as of Monday night.
FUEL SUBSIDY
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the government is studying a proposed fuel subsidy program for the public transport sector which has been allowed to resume operations in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ).
Under the GCQ, public utility vehicles like buses, UV express, taxis, and tricycles are already allowed to operate but at reduced capacities and subject to health protocols such as social distancing and wearing of face masks. Public transportation remains prohibited in places under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
Roque said the Department of Transportation recommended the fuel subsidy, which shall be 30 percent of the daily petroleum consumption of public utility drivers and operators, to ease their burden. The IATF has yet to approve the proposal.
ENOUGH FUNDS
Roque assured the public that the government still has enough funds to accommodate the payout in May as well as the additional five million low income families that would be included in the list of SAP beneficiaries.
“Sa ngayon, hindi pa tayo humihingi ng supplemental budget sa Kongreso. Sapat pa po ang pondo natin as is. Hindi lang po natin alam kung hanggang kailan kasi itong problema sa COVID, hanggang walang bakuna at walang gamot. Pero for now we’re okay (For now, we have not asked for a supplemental budget from Congress. We still have sufficient funds. We just don’t know until when the problem with COVID would be, maybe until there’s no vaccine or cure. But for now, we’re okay),” he said.
President Duterte, in his sixth report to Congress, said the P10.619 billion worth of funds that had been realigned or reprogrammed from the 2019 and 2020 budget to the different departments had remained untouched.
Duterte said that as of April 30, P5.065 billion worth of funds sourced from the 2019 and 2020 budget had been realigned to the Department of Labor and Employment; P3.908 billion derived from the 2019 and 2020 budget was reallocated to the Department of Social Welfare and Development; P330.817 million from the 2019 budget was reprogrammed to the Department of National Defense; and P41.09 million worth of trust receipts was reprogrammed to the Department of Justice.
Other programmed funds under the 2020 budget had also been reallocated to the Department of Health (P600 million), Department of Interior and Local Government (P520.6 million), Department of Science and Technology (P53.23 million), Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (P21.629 million) and Department of Trade and Industry (P78.14 million).
The President also said that “no additional releases were made out of the total pooled savings from discontinued programs, activities, projects and abandoned special purpose funds amounting to P246.283 billion.” — With Victor Reyes
