DSWD list to help speed up aid distribution

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said on Wednesday that it will provide the list of beneficiaries of the Emergency Subsidy Program to local governments under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) for the speedy distribution of aid to low-income families.

The DSWD said that the list could serve as a reference for local governments in identifying beneficiaries who are affected by the more stringent quarantine classification. The list of beneficiaries is scheduled to be sent to local governments on Wednesday at the earliest.

The agency was tasked last year to distribute the two tranches of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP).

22.9M beneficiaries

But unlike last year when the national government doled out up to P8,000 per month to low-income families, the aid for the one-week ECQ will only be P1,000, either in cash or in-kind, based on the local government’s discretion.

Up to four members of a single household can qualify for the aid, according to the issuance of the Department of Budget and Management.

“(Local government units) may include other beneficiaries such as low-income individuals living alone and belonging to the most affected and vulnerable sectors,” the DSWD said.Some 22.9 million beneficiaries from the National Capital Region and nearby provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal are expected to receive aid. The national government has earmarked P22.9 billion as an emergency subsidy.

Problematic

Quezon City, Manila and Caloocan are among the cities which will receive the highest allocation, at P2.4 billion, P1.5 billion and P1.3 billion, respectively.

Aside from providing technical assistance to local governments, the DSWD earlier said it would set up a complaint processing system to make sure that the aid is properly utilized.

But Cavite Gov. Juanito Victor Remulla predicted that the new government subsidy would again be problematic due to lack of proper guidelines and mechanisms.

“There is no proper mechanism in place to verify who should receive the P1,000 to P4,000. The end result? Disaster,” the governor said.

Approved

On Monday, President Duterte approved the release of P23-billion emergency subsidy to around 22.9 million individuals living in Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Bulacan provinces placed under ECQ. Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado said the emergency subsidy will be distributed to 11.2 million recipients from Metro Manila, 3 million from Bulacan, 3.4 million from Cavite, 2.7 million from Laguna, and 2.6 million from Rizal.

Remulla clarified that the office of the Cavite governor was not included in the distribution process and urged people to understand the predicament of local chief executives in charge of SAP distribution.

“They were not given an easy task,” the governor said even as he urged people to stop expecting to receive the second tranche of aid that they were supposed to get last year.