Sotto: DOF to ‘straighten out’ clashing cash aid beneficiaries list of DSWD, LGUs

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Finance (DOF) will review the contradicting tally of beneficiaries between local government units (LGUs) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development  (DSWD) for the distribution of cash assistance during the COVID-19 crisis.

In a message to reporters on Sunday, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said DOF Secretary Carlos Dominguez III told him that they will “straighten out” the confusion in the differing data of LGUs and DSWD.

“I was on [the] phone with Sec Dominguez and we discussed the issues being pointed out by the senators getting their feedback from the mayors,” Sotto said when asked about recommended changes in the social amelioration program following the supposed “problematic” list of poor families for the cash aid.

“All are well taken and in fact, he [told] me that the President wanted to inform us that they will straighten out the confusion brought about by the database of [the] DSWD that does not tally with LGU database,” he also said.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, former mayor of Valenzuela City, was one of the senators who raised the issue of quota between DSWD and Valenzuela regarding the social amelioration program.

“In our 2015 census, Valenzuela has 155,000 families. I just learned that DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) will give the P8,000 to only 95,000 families in Valenzuela. What will happen to the remaining 60,000 families? What are the qualifications to be included in the 95,000 quota?” Gatchalian wrote in his Twitter account on Saturday.

KGA