Palace gives DSWD ‘passing grade’ in SAP distribution
MANILA, Philippines — Although not exemplary enough to warrant a “magna cum laude” rating, Malacañang still gives the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) a passing grade in its yet-to-be-finished distribution of cash aid for those affected by the COVID-19 lockdowns.
According to Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, the delay in DSWD’s social amelioration program (SAP) distribution is understandable as it has to wait and verify first the list of beneficiaries, which consists of millions that would have to come from local government units (LGUs).
“Siguro po hindi magna cum laude ang grade pero pasado naman po dahil unang-una yung delay naman po ay dahil talagang nagverify sila na walang double entries at ito po yung dahilan kung bakit nabawasan sila ng humigit kumulang isang milyon,” Roque said in a televised Palace press briefing.
(Maybe the grade is not [to the level of] magna cum laude but still it’s a passing grade because, first and foremost, the delay was due to the verification to make sure no double entries and this is the reason why around a million was stricken off the list.)
As of Aug. 20, the DSWD said over 13.1 million family-beneficiaries have already received the second tranche of SAP. This is nearly a million short from a total of 14.1 million households targeted to receive the second wave of subsidies.
The SAP, mandated by the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act of 2020, was intended to aid 18 million poor families affected by the enhanced community quarantine over Luzon and other areas due to the COVID-19 pandemic for the months of April and May.
The cash aid distribution should have been finished by the end of May, however, it was marred with delays due to concerns on security, the reconciliation of lists of beneficiaries, and logistical challenges.
Nonetheless, the government apologized for the delay and vowed to do better the next time the need to provide emergency cash assistance program arises.
“Gayunpaman, humihingi po kami ng abiso sa mga na-inconvenience sa mahahabang pila pero I can assure you po na nakipagcoordinate naman po ang ating DSWD sa mga FSPs at saka kino-communicate naman po natin sa ating mga recipients na hindi naman po kinakailangang mag-unahan para kunin yung kanilang mga pera sa mga FSPs (financial service providers). Hindi naman po mawawala yun at pupwede ring gamitin na pambili ng iba’ ibang bagay,” Roque said.
(Nevertheless, we apologize for those who experienced inconvenience due to long queues but I can assure you that the DSWD is coordinating with the FSPs [financial service providers] and we are also communicating this to our recipients that there is no need to go ahead with one another just to be the first to get cash from the FSPs. That will not perish in fact you can use it to buy different things.)
“Sa susunod po, now that we have used the FSPs, mas mabilis na po ang pagbibigay ng ayuda kung meron man [the distribution of aid will be faster, the next time there is cash assistance],” he added.
JPV
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