THE Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Thursday gave local government units a four to seven-day extension to complete the distribution of the April tranche of the emergency cash subsidy under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP).
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, in a virtual briefing from Malacañang, said LGUs in Metro Manila, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, Bulacan, Cebu City and Davao City have seven extra days to complete the SAP distribution for April, while LGUs in other parts of the country that have yet to complete their payouts have four additional days.
Año and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rolando Bautista acknowledged the challenges faced by the local leaders, especially barangay officials, in distributing the cash aid particularly in remote and hard to reach areas.
He said they are also aware that the current lockdown observed in different areas, the limited number of available barangay and DSWD workers and the high population in many areas have added to the difficulties.
“Nakita namin na valid naman iyong kanilang reasons kasi kaya naman nilang i-distribute iyan talaga sa takdang oras, pero maba-violate iyong physical at social distancing so, balewala din iyon, na-defeat din natin iyong purpose na huwag mag-spread iyong virus (We saw that their reasons were valid, and that while they can easily distribute the cash aid at the given period, it would mean violating the physical and social distancing rules. That would defeat the purpose of stopping the spread of the virus),” he added.
The Muntinlupa Social Service Department (SSD) on Thursday requested for a 10-day extension for it to complete the cash aid in Muntinlupa. The city’s DSWD office has so far given the cash assistance to 53,836 qualified indigent families.
Muntinlupa public information chief Tez Navarra said the distribution has been slowed down by the tedious process of validation and the city’s limited manpower.
As of April 29, Bautista said the DSWD has already downloaded more than P80.8 billion worth of SAP funds to 1,515 local government units, or 98.8 percent of the allocation for April.
Of this amount, more than P50 billion had already been distributed by the LGUs to 9.4 million beneficiaries composed of low-income families, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and drivers of transport network vehicle service at public utility vehicle operating in Metro Manila.
Bautista said 104 of the 1,632 local government units nationwide have already completed or made a 100 percent payout for April.
Año reminded local government officials that the faster they complete the April payout, the faster they can file their liquidation report and eventually receive the second tranche of the SAP subsidy for May.
“They have to liquidate immediately to be able to prepare the second tranche, even if they have to file a partial liquidation. Once they make a full liquidation, the DSWD will then have a basis to release the second tranche. Of course, there will be a validation of the liquidation,” he added in mixed English and Filipino.
As of Wednesday night, Año said the distribution of the SAP assistance in Metro Manila was only 73 percent complete and the completion percentage is lower in the Bangsamoro region. However, he said the distribution is 100 percent complete in the Bicol region.
During the Laging Handa press briefing, DILG undersecretary for barangay affairs Martin Diño said one of the reasons for the delayed distribution was the refusal of some mayors to tap the assistance of barangay officials.
Diño said the mayors don’t want to download the funds to barangay officials because they feel they are accountable for the funds.
Had the mayors downloaded the funds to their barangay executives, the distribution would have been completed in a matter of days only.
Año urged the public to report to the DILG any local official who have been favoring certain persons or households in the distribution of SAP assistance. He said the distribution should not be tainted by politics.
“Wag silang matakot basta siguraduhin lang nila na totoo yung sinasabi nila. (They should not be afraid as long as what they are saying is true),” Año said.
ADDITIONAL WORKERS’ ASSISTANCE
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, during the same briefing, said the government is looking for additional budget to fund possible extra assistance to workers who may have lost their jobs due to the lockdown.
He acknowledged the call of Sen. Joel Villanueva to augment the emergency employment programs and cash subsidy program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) after it was forced to suspend its COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP) and Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program due to depleted funds.
DOLE has said it would realign P1.5 billion of its 2020 budget to provide additional P5,000 one-time aid to some 300,000 workers under CAMP.
“We will see if we can come up with additional aid for the workers but we have limited annual budget,” he said.
Roque said the government is also preparing a “recovery plan” to help the workers who had been affected by the health crisis and the work stoppage under the Luzon wide enhanced community quarantine. — With Victor Reyes and Noel Talacay
