Cebu mayors want clear guidelines on gov’t financial aid

CEBU CITY – Mayors in the 44 towns and seven cities of Cebu province have appealed to the Department of Social and Welfare Development (DSWD) to give clear guidelines as to who should receive the social amelioration program (SAP) of government.

The mayors decried the delay and unclear protocols about the distribution of the SAP which they said could lead to speculations that the funds intended for people affected by the COVID-19 had been diverted or used for political reasons.

Central Visayas has a SAP amounting to P6 billion but it had yet to be received by the DSWD.

Talisay City Mayor Gerard Anthony Gullas said the public had been asking for information about the SAP.

“We would like the public to know that we haven’t received any money yet. But right now, we are caught in a position where it’s difficult to explain,” said Gullas.

Liloan Mayor Christina Frasco also voiced out her concerns, saying that the DSWD should come up with clearer guidelines on the distribution of SAP.

Until now, City of Naga Mayor Kristine Vanessa Chiong said there was no concrete information as how much the beneficiaries should receive from the SAP.

In Leyte, Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez has approved ordinances aimed to ease the financial burden experienced by local businessmen due to coronavirus disease or COVID-19 pandemic.

Romualdez signed the ordinances enacted by the members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod extending the deadline for the payment of taxes and charges for all types of businesses covering the first quarter of the year from March 31 to April 30 and waiving the rental payment for all stallholders at the city’s public market, new bus terminal, and lessees at the convention center.

Also approved by the city mayor is an ordinance extending the deadline for the payment of the first installment of real property taxes from March 31 to the end of this month without interest or penalty.

The city council, headed by Vice Mayor Jerry Yaokasin, enacted these three ordinances on March 25, with the aim of helping the businessmen and real property owners during this time of difficulties caused by COVID-19 pandemic.

Romualdez placed the entire city under restrictive community quarantine last March 21 to April 12 to stop the possible entry of COVID-19 in the city of more than 240,000 people.

At present, Tacloban City has 30 patients under investigation (PUIs) and 79 persons under monitoring (PUMs).

AU