1.3M families get 2nd tranche cash aid

Over 1.3 million poor families under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) have so far received cash aid in the second tranche of the government’s social amelioration program (SAP), presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Thursday.

Roque said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) had begun distributing the second tranche of the cash aid to poor families affected by the new coronavirus pandemic in 11 areas, including Benguet, Pangasinan, the entire Central Luzon except for Aurora, Metro Manila, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Albay, Iloilo, Bacolod City, Cebu province, Zamboanga City and Davao City.

Except for Benguet, which is under modified general community quarantine, the 10 other areas are still under general community quarantine until June 30.

Eighteen million low-income families are expected to benefit from the second tranche of the cash aid program, including the 5 million families “left out” in the first tranche.

Roque earlier said that the distribution of the second tranche was expected to be faster since the government would use electronic payment for previous recipients.

In a statement, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Archie Gamboa said police nationwide were ready to help in the distribution of the second tranche of SAP payout. Gamboa said police regional offices would coordinate with military territorial units for clearing operations to ensure the safety of SAP cash subsidy beneficiaries from the distribution centers to their homes.

Duplication

The DSWD, meanwhile, said that more than 22,000 households have received “duplicate” cash aid, that is, they received emergency cash subsidy from more than one government agency implementing the SAP.

The duplication underscores the importance of the process of verifying cash aid claims, DSWD Undersecretary Glen Paje said.

The DSWD, however, remains mum on actions it would take to reclaim the duplicate cash assistance.

Other than the DSWD’s P5,000 to P8,000 in cash aid for poor and low-income families, other government agencies with similar dole-out programs are the Social Security System, which is implementing the small business wage subsidy, and the Department of Labor and Employment, with its COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program.

Paje also reacted to the House bid to investigate the slow implementation of the SAP, and said that the DSWD “respects the rights of legislators to investigate delays.’’

DSWD executives are ready and willing to appear at the House hearings, Paje said. “This can be also be our opportunity to answer questions and explain the processes we did to maintain the integrity of the SAP,” he added. —With reports FROM Patricia Denise M. Chiu and Jeannette I. Andrade