ILOILO CITY- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)has released more than P5 billion in Social Amelioration Program (SAP) funds to 80 local government units (LGUs)in Western Visayas.
DSWD Assistant Secretary for Specialized Programs Rhea Peñaflor said in an online press conference here on Tuesday that as of 8 p.m. of April 13, a total of P5,072,466,00 was released to 80 of the 133 LGUs in the region.
Peñaflor said the LGUs could start the distribution of the subsidy to beneficiaries according to their capacity.
She said that upon the transfer of funds, the LGUs should pay out within five days, the beneficiaries based on SAP guidelines.
Family beneficiaries in Western Visayas will receive P6,000 per month for two months.
The LGUs that received the funds include 31 each in Negros Occidental and Iloilo provinces, 12 in Antique province and three each in Capiz and Guimaras province.
No release has been made to Aklan province.
In Antique, the LGUS included the towns of Anini-y, Barbaza, Belison, Culasi, Hamtic, Laua-an, Libertad, Patnongon, Sebaste, Tibiao, Tobias Fornier, and Valderrama.
The three LGUs in Capiz were Dumarao and Mambusao towns as well as Roxas City while those in Guimaras included Jordan, San Lorenzo and Sibunag towns.
In Iloilo, those that received the SAP funds were: the towns of Ajuy, Alimodian, Anilao, Badiangan, Balasan, Banate, Barotac Nuevo, Barotac Viejo, Bingawan, Cabatuan, Calinog, Duenas, Dumangas, Estancia, Guimbal, Igbaras, Janiuay, Maasin, Miagao, Mina, New Lucena and Oton, Pototan, San Enrique, San Joaquin, San Rafael, Tigbauan, Tubungan and Zarraga; and Iloilo and Passi cities.
Those in Negros Occidental included: the towns of Binalbagan, Calatrava, Candoni, Cauayan, EB Magalona, Himamaylan, Hinigaran, Hinoba-an, Ilog, Isabela, La Castellana, Manapla, Moises Padilla, Murcia, Pontevedra, Pulupandan, Salvador Benedicto, San Enrique, Toboso and Valladolid; and the cities of Bacolod, Bago,Victorias, Sipalay, San Carlos Kabankalan, Silay, Sagay, Escalante, Cadiz and La Carlota.
Peñaflor also clarified that the initial allocation of beneficiaries communicated to local governments had included beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
The release of SAP assistance to 4Ps beneficiaries will be through their cash cards and not downloaded to LGUs.
Several mayors in Western Visayas had earlier asked the DSWD to publicly explain and apologize because the chief executives had announced to their constituents the number of beneficiaries that included the 4Ps beneficiaries.
Peñaflor said they had asked the LGUs to submit a list of target beneficiaries not included in the list of allocated recipients.
She said the list would be validated and submitted to the DSWD central office. This will be forwarded to the Department of Finance with a request for additional funding.