Metro Manila LGUs among slowest to give cash aid – DSWD

MANILA, Philippines — Several local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila are among the slowest to release the national government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP) funds, according to an official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Vicente Gregorio Tomas, DSWD-National Capital Region Field Office director, told The STAR yesterday that the DSWD-NCR fully downloaded a total of P12,468,920,000 in SAP funds by April 13. They started the download on April 3.

As of 6 p.m. on May 4, Tomas said only 603,222 families or 38.7 percent of the target SAP beneficiaries in Metro Manila received P4,825,776,000 in SAP funds.

According to figures from the DSWD-NCR, Muntinlupa distributed 10.4 percent of SAP funds as of 6 p.m. on May 4, followed by San Juan at 10.8 percent and Pasay at 11.05 percent.

The LGU with the highest distribution rate is Caloocan at 77.45 percent of SAP funds; followed by Pasig at 76.06 percent; Valenzuela, 66.70 percent; Marikina, 55.51 percent; Mandaluyong, 55.01 percent; and Manila, 51.09 percent.

Tomas noted that some LGUs in far-flung provinces have distributed 100 percent of their SAP funds as early as last week.

The DSWD has yet to issue figures on the release of SAP funds by Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Navotas, Parañaque, Pateros and Taguig.

The Quezon City government said yesterday over 57,000 families have received SAP funds as of Sunday.

The number is expected to be higher as thousands also received subsidies during the ongoing simultaneous payouts in different barangays.

The national government has allocated 377,854 slots to the city for the cash subsidy.

Over 154,000 social amelioration cards have already been submitted as of Sunday, according to the city government.

Mayor Joy Belmonte earlier approved a supplemental budget to provide P4,000 assistance to qualified beneficiaries excluded from the national government program.

Belmonte said there are at least 723,822 families qualified to receive aid in the city.

The Pasig City government yesterday said the distribution of the DSWD’s SAP in the city is almost done and it has begun distributing P8,000 cash assistance under its local SAP for around 160,000 households left out of the national government’s financial aid distribution.

Mayor Vico Sotto added that government employees and other individuals given cash assistance by other aid programs of the national government will be excluded from the list of beneficiaries.

In Valenzuela, more than 230,000 families are expected to receive the third wave of food vouchers starting today.

“We will make sure that in six to seven days, we will finish the food voucher distribution. We will make sure that if not all, almost all... families will receive their food voucher within a week,” Mayor Rex Gatchalian said.

The city government distributed 105,000 food vouchers during the first wave and another 230,000 during the second. – Janvic Mateo, Neil Jayson Servallos, Rey Galupo