DSWD urges public: Report officials violating subsidy distribution rules

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday urged the public to report local officials who would violate the law in distributing the government’s two-month social amelioration program for low-income families.

According to DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista, the agency has set up a “grievance redress system” where the public could file their complaints 24/7 against erring local government units (LGUs).

Bautista said Interior Secretary Eduardo Año has vowed to suspend local officials who would be proven to have violated the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act, which allocated P200-billion worth of cash aid to be distributed to about 18 million low-income households.

“Kaya palaging panawagan ko sa ating mga kababayan, na sana mag-ingay kayo, sumigaw kayo kapag may nakita kayong talagang very obvious, sabihin na nating talagang sumusuway sa provisions ng ating batas tungkol sa social amelioration program,” Bautista said in a virtual press briefing.

(We keep telling our fellow Filipinos to make some noise if they see that the provisions of the law about social amelioration program are not obeyed.)

To date, Bautista said over P48 billion have already been transferred to local government units (LGUs) for the cash assistance to families affected by the Luzon-wide lockdown imposed to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Beneficiaries are to receive subsidies of P5,000 to P8,000 per household monthly for two months, with the first tranche expected to be completed in the next two weeks.

The DSWD chief likewise assured that they are addressing lapses in the distribution of the cash aid after some families complained against the slow delivery of the emergency subsidy. At the same time, Metro Manila mayors lamented that the amounts given to them for this was based on a 2015 census and was not enough for the low-income families on their list.