MANILA, Philippines — All mayors of Metro Manila’s 16 cities and one municipality have asked the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to extend until May 15 the deadline for the distribution of cash assistance under the government’s social amelioration program (SAP).
According to San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora, he and the 16 other Metro mayors have signed a request letter that was sent to DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista asking for the extension.
Local government units (LGUs) are given until Thursday (April 30) to distribute the first tranche of the cash assistance under SAP to all of their target beneficiaries amid the coronavirus disease. (COVID-19) pandemic.
“All 17 mayors, including myself, pumirma na ho kami ng isang request letter initiated by (Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Danilo Lim) requesting our good secretary of the DSWD…for an extension,” Zamora said in an interview on dzMM on Thursday.
(All 17 mayors, including myself, we signed a request letter initiated by MMDA chairman Danilo Lim requesting our good secretary of the DSWD…for an extension).
Earlier, Interior Undersecretary Martin Diño said nearly all of Metro Manila LGUs have yet to completely distribute the cash aid for low-income families, as provided under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.
San Juan City is one of the LGUs that is lagging behind in terms of the cash assistance distribution.
Zamora said this was due to the fact that city officials have to carefully validate the names included in the list of beneficiaries.
“Naiintidihan natin na meron tayong deadline na hinahabol. Ang challenge po kasi dito, dalawa. Unang-una, napaka-konti po ng slots po sa amin. 16,309 lang. Originally, 35,000 po ang binigay po na slots…then for some reason ito ho’y binago at naging 16,309 lang,” he said.
(We understand that there is a deadline to meet. But we are facing two challenges in the distribution. First, we were only given 16,309 slots. Originally, 35,000 were given to us but for some reason, it was reduced to 16,309).
“Kung kaya’t kinakailangan talagang ng matinding pagsusuri dun sa listahan na ginagawa ng ating mga barangay captain,” he added.
(That’s why we need to really examine the list given by barangay officials).
He said that list of beneficiaries has to be vetted and double-checked to ensure that the cash subsidy is released correctly.
“Everyone is complaining lalo na yung hindi napapasama, sinasabi ‘Bakit kami hindi nilista ni Kap(itan), bakit kami hindi nasama sa SAP? Bakit yung iba doble-doble, triple triple?’ So it’s really a matter of validation,” Zamora said.
(Everyone is complaining especially those who were not covered, saying: ‘Why were we not listed by the barangay captain? Why are we not included in the SAP? Why are other members of other families have two or three members listed down?’ So it’s really a matter of validation).
“I would rather submit a very clean list, yung talagang nasuri nang mabuti kaysa magmadali…Yung criteria ho kasi na binigay ng DSWD medyo stringent din talaga at pag magkamali ka rito, you can be charged administratively. Once the funds are released at mali ang benepisyaryo, ‘di na po yan mababawi,” he added.
(I would rather submit a very clean list, a list that has been vetted carefully instead of rushing things. The criteria of the DSWD for the beneficiary is a bit stringent and if you commit an error, you will be charged administratively. Once the funds are released and you gave it to the wrong person, you can no longer take it back).
Zamora however assured that the city would likely finish its distribution in the next five to 10 days.
“We only started releasing the other day. The releasing will be fast, validation ang mahaba, (the validation is what takes time),” he said.
As of April 27, the DSWD said P80.7 billion of the aid—or 98.8% of all the funds allocated to the SAP—have been transferred to 1,515 LGUs nationwide.
However, only P43 billion has been handed out to the beneficiaries—P16.4 billion to Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries, P23.8 billion to those not part of the 4Ps, P36.4 million to 4P beneficiaries without cash cards, and P323.3 million to public utility vehicle drivers in Metro Manila.