THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) yesterday said 1.3 million poorest of the poor, or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) cash card holders, have already received the second tranche of the emergency cash aid of the government’s Special Amelioration Program.
DSWD director and spokesman Irene Dumlao said P6.7 billion was paid out during the first three days of distribution, which started on Wednesday.
Dumlao said the 4Ps beneficiaries received a top up between P3,350 to P6,650 depending on the minimum wage rate per region. The top up is an additional cash received by the 4Ps beneficiaries on top of their monthly subsidy of P1,350.
Other 4Ps beneficiaries who are non-cash card holders and other recipients of the second tranche of SAP, like low income families who were waitlisted, will start receiving their subsidy this week.
“This week we will start with the distribution of the second tranche, first tranche and second tranche para doon sa mga sa waitlisted o mga additional beneficiaries na hindi nakatanggap ng ayuda mula ng una tayong nagpahatid ng SAP (This week we will start with the distribution of the second tranche, first tranche and second tranche for those waitlisted or the additional beneficiaries who did not receive any aid since we distributed the SAP),” Dumlao said.
The DSWD said 13.5 million low income households composed of 8.5 million families that were originally part of the 18 million families who received the first tranche released in April, and the 5 million targeted families who are eligible but have been waitlisted, will receive the P5,000 to P8,000 subsidy under the second tranche.
Of the 5 million waitlisted families, 3.5 million will receive a their April and May payouts, while 1.5 million will just receive one payout for the month of April.
Those who will receive two tranches or two months worth of SAP are the 3.5 million left out families who were living in areas under enhance community quarantine (ECQ) from March to April and in May.
Only the low income families and 4Ps beneficiaries living in the areas covered by the ECQ in May will receive the second tranche. Under Executive Order No. 112 that Malacañang issued on May 1 and a memoranda issued by Executive Secretary on May 2, the areas covered by ECQ are Metro Manila, Central Luzon or Region III except Aurora, and Calabarzon or Region IV-A, the provinces of Benguet, Pangasinan, Iloilo, Cebu and Albay; and the cities of Bacolod, Davao, and Zamboanga.
Dumlao said DSWD is targeting to complete the distribution of the second tranche before June ends.
The DSWD is using electronic or digital mechanisms like banks and electronic payment to hasten the distribution of the second tranche, make it contactless, and reduce chances for corruption.
Manual distribution would still be done in remote and hard to reach places and islands with the help of the military, the police and the local government units.
“Before matapos ang buwan, tinitiyak ng DSWD na matatapos ang pag-distribute naming ng second tranche (Before the month ends, DSWD assures that we will finish the distributing the second tranche),” Dumlao said.
DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautistsa last Thursday said the first tranche had finally been completed with P99.8 billion released to 17.6 million beneficiaries nationwide.
Some 300,000 teachers of private schools as well as support personnel may require assistance from the government as they face employment uncertainty due to the expected low enrollment this coming school year.
House deputy majority leader and party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera (Bagong Henerasyon) said many of these teachers and instructors are heads of families who have children and dependents to feed.
She pointed out that while the Department of Education has advanced the salaries, bonuses, and allowances of public school teachers, their counterparts in the private education system to face hunger and desperation.
Herrera noted that salaries and benefits of teachers in private schools are drawn from student tuition.
However, the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) which represents majority of private education institutions in the country had disclosed that many private schools are bleeding financially and are on the verge of closing down due to delays in school opening.
The lawmakers warned that the inability of private schools to continue operating would render their teaching and non-teaching personnel jobless. — With Peter Tabingo
“Considering that there is much uncertainty on the enrollment of students which would consequently affect the ability of many private schools to sustain themselves, teachers and non-teaching personnel in private educational institutions should also be given assistance to help them cope with the effects of the pandemic,” she said.
The House leader added that some small private schools have been declared not qualified to get assistance from the Small Business Wage Subsidy (SBWS) program of the Social Security System.
The SBWS provides wage subsidies of P5,000 or P8,000 per month to eligible employees in the private sector.
“If these private schools are not qualified under the SBWS program, then how will the government provide support for their teaching and non-teaching personnel during this global public health crisis?” Herrera lamented.