Only 12% of 1.8M poor Central Luzon families received DSWD cash grants

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO –– About 12 percent of 1.8 million poor families in Central Luzon have so far received the P6,500 cash aid to help them cope with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) quarantine.

The money from the Emergency Subsidy Program (ESP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development has been handed out to 208,196 families as of April 21, a report from the DSWD Central Luzon office shows.

The 1.8 million families entitled to the cash assistance, include conditional cash transfer recipients of the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), according to Marites Maristela, DSWD regional director, on Thursday (April 23).

Beneficiaries of 4Ps, a poverty alleviation program started during the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, became eligible for the ESP, which is part of the Social Amelioration Program under Republic Act No. 11469 (the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act).

A verification process has delayed the ESP pay-out. “We are not blaming our mayors and local social welfare officers. They are doing due diligence when they revalidate the list prepared by the barangay (village) councils,” Maristela explained.

In some parts of Tarlac province, the revalidation process was hampered by strict quarantine rules.

In Maria Aurora town in Aurora province, a clash between the Philippine Army and the New People’s Army slowed down the verification of beneficiaries, Maristela said.

She said the pay-outs in the region’s seven provinces amounted to P1.3 billion as of April 21.

At least 2,856 families received their grants in Aurora, 837 in Bataan, 77,702 in Bulacan, 89,110 in Nueva Ecija, 30,633 in Pampanga, 5,637 in Tarlac, and 1,421 in Zambales.

Maristela said they intend to complete the distribution of the grants by April 30.

LZB