DSWD to pause giving guarantee letters from December 7 to 31

FILE PHOTO: A personnel of the Department of Social Welfare and Development gives cash aid to a beneficiary and  the DSWD logo. Photo courtesy of DSWD-7/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will temporarily suspend the issuance of guarantee letters (GL) under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program.

From December 7 to 31, DSWD offices nationwide will stop issuing GLs to give way to its annual liquidation and completion of payment to service providers who already extended assistance to beneficiaries. The issuance of GLs will resume in January 2024.

A DSWD guarantee letter is issued in favor of a beneficiary to assure a service provider, such as a hospital, of payment for services rendered.

“Ang nasabing hakbang ay kinakailangan upang mabigyang-daan ang annual liquidation na bahagi ng taunang fiscal obligation alinsunod sa utos ng Department of Budget and Management at ng batas,” the DSWD said in an advisory on Wednesday.

(Said step is necessary to allow the annual liquidation that is part of the annual fiscal obligation in accordance with the order of the Department of Budget and Management and the law.)

“Ang suspensyon na ito rin ay makakapagbigay ng sapat na oras sa pag-aayos ng mga kinakailangang dokumento para mabayaran ang mga service providers sa mga naiabot na tulong sa mga kliyenteng nakalapit na sa aming mga opisina sa pamamagitan ng GL,” it added.

(This suspension will also allow enough time to arrange the necessary documents to pay the service providers for the assistance rendered to the clients who have approached our offices through GL.)

The DSWD, however, clarified that the provision of help will still continue through the giving of outright cash assistance to qualified beneficiaries.

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