MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Tuesday said only 12 million households from the original 18 million beneficiaries of the government’s social amelioration program (SAP) will receive cash aid for the month of May.
An additional 5 million “left-out” households, however, will also receive financial aid from the government.
In the first tranche, about 18 million households were able to receive from P5,000 to P8,000.
In a series of Viber messages with reporters, DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao said that based on a written directive from Malacañang, 12 million households under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) as of May 1 will receive cash aid, while another 5 million households from those “wait-listed” in the first tranche will also get aid.
“Those under GCQ (general community quarantine) may be considered, subject to validation,” Dumlao added.
However, when pressed how the DSWD will determine which areas exactly will receive cash aid for the month of May, Dumlao was unable to answer.
She merely said that the matter would be clarified during the meeting with the Inter-Agency Technical Working Group on the Social Amelioration Program.
Dumlao added that the meeting will take place “within the week.”
Earlier, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea issued a memorandum ordering the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases to include 5 million more families in the second tranche of cash aid.
Medialdea also said beneficiaries living in areas under GCQ might still be considered for cash aid.
In the text of the memo, the 5 million households will be added to the “12 million beneficiaries under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program of the DSWD.”
However, when the memo was issued, it was unclear whether all 18 million beneficiaries from the first tranche will be retained.
The Duterte government has previously backtracked on several pronouncements related to the implementation of the subsidy.
Earlier, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that only ECQ areas and those under modified enhanced community quarantine would be given cash aid. INQ