Nearly 95% of funds for the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) have been downloaded to local government units across the country. This was reported by DSWD Secretary Rolando Joselito Bautista in an interview this morning over Radyo Pilipinas for Laging Handa Network Briefing with Communication Secretary Martin Andanar.
Bautista said that out of more than P81 billion, more than P77 billion was already transferred to the local government units (LGUs). In its first wave of payout, at least two million non-4Ps beneficiaries benefited from the emergency subsidy program. Cash disbursements or payouts are still going on with the assistance of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
On the issue of indigent families excluded from SAP list, Bautista said that the department is documenting and consolidating the names of those who are SAP qualified but were left out of the indicative list of beneficiaries. This new list, that is being collected, will be submitted to the Dept. of Finance for study and fund sourcing.
Bautista clarified that a beneficiary can only receive cash subsidy from one government agency, either from the DSWD or Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE); never both. DSWD and DOLE share databases and double subsidies to a beneficiary will no doubt be detected in due time.
Sec. Bautista assures the public of transparency and supports the DILG's directive to post names of beneficiaries in strategic areas in the barangay. For its part, Bautista said DSWD will post the names of all its recipients in its website.
Quirino Governor Dakila Carlo Cua, who was this morning's LGU guest for Region II, echoed the disappointments in his province of the many indigent qualified families whose names were not included in the list of beneficiaries for the SAP. He reported that the distribution of cash subsidies is within 30-40 percent accomplished as of this day. (Luis T. Cueto/PIA-OrMin)
