P510-million Central Mindanao cash aid not distributed

(INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

MANILA, Philippines — Over P510.61 million in cash grants under the unconditional cash transfer (UCT)program were not distributed to more than 136,000 beneficiaries in the Soccsksargen region in 2020.

State auditors said delays in implementing such social programs would defeat the purpose of extending timely, immediate, and necessary aid for those hardest hit by the pandemic.

According to a 2021 audit report on the Department of Social Welfare and Development, only P54.77 million of the P565.38 million UCT grants for Region 12 were given to 20,134 beneficiaries.

This meant that 90.31 percent of the total amount of cash grants, or P10.61 million, were undistributed to 136,918 beneficiaries from the region.

The Commission on Audit noted that for the Soccsksargen region, South Cotabato and Cotabato City had “zero distributions of the 2020 UCT cash grants.”

The distribution rate for North Cotabato, Sarangani, and Sultan Kudarat ranged from 2.57 percent to 15.99 percent.

There were 34 towns and cities across Region 12 that “have not started the 2020 UCT distributions” for beneficiaries worth P399.15 million.

—JULIE M. AURELIO

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