P53.8B distributed to over 10 million families under SAP—DSWD

The distribution of the social amelioration program in Eastern Visayas has started since last week with 596,094 “poorest of the poor” targeted as beneficiaries. Photo shows the payout in Basey, Samar. (DSWD-8)

MANILA, Philippines — Over 10 million of the 18 million Filipino families targeted to receive emergency subsidy from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) have so far received cash assistance under the first tranche of the agency’s social amelioration program (SAP).

Data from the DSWD shared during the meeting of the House of Representatives’ Defeat COVID-19 Committee (DCC) Technical Working Group (TWG) on SAP on Friday showed that a total of 10,135,634 families have so far received cash aid from the government under SAP as of April 30.

A total of P53.8 billion have been given to beneficiaries, according to the department.

The DSWD has received a total of P196 billion from the Department of Budget and Management for the two tranches of SAP.

On April 2, the DBM released P100 billion for the dole outs for the first month of implementation of SAP as mandated by the Bayanihan Heal as One Act which gave President Rodrigo Duterte additional powers to deal with the COVID- 19 pandemic.

DBM on April 17 later released another P96 billion to DSWD for the second month of cash aid to poor families during the enhanced community quarantine.

Under SAP, DSWD provides a two-time P5,000-P8,000 cash assistance to 18 million Filipino families for the months of April and May.