Over 500T poorest of the poor in CV get gov’t cash aid

DSWD-7 Regional Information Officer Leah Quintana giving updates on the implementation of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) in Central Visayas during the Daily SAP Briefing livestreamed over Facebook pages of Philippine Information Agency in Region 7. (PIA7) 

CEBU, May 4 (PIA) -- Over half a million poorest of the poor families in Central Visayas have been given the P6,000 cash subsidy under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) of the government to ease their burden as the country continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Around 530,955 qualified household-beneficiaries have received the cash assistance as of 8:00 p.m. of May 3,” reported Leah Quintana, regional information officer of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-7), during the Daily SAP Briefing initiated by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA-7).

There are 1,058,075 beneficiaries in Central Visayas, excluding the 288,538 4Ps members who have already received their cash subsidy early on, stated the DSWD-7.

With the latest figure, 52 percent of the total number of beneficiaries have already been given the financial assistance to tide them over these rough times, said Quintana.

She said P3,185,730,000 has been disbursed to the intended recipients out of the total budget for the region at P6,348,450,000 under the SAP subsidy.

Last week, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año told the local government units (LGUs) to speed up the distribution of the cash subsidy, giving them a timeline until Friday, May 7 to complete the first tranche of the SAP.

Quintana lauded 21 out of the 132 LGUs in the region that have distributed 100 percent of the cash aid to the intended recipients in their respective areas.

In the spirit of transparency, Año previously told the barangay captains to post the list of SAP beneficiaries in conspicuous areas within sight of the residents in their local community.

Meanwhile, 53,721 families throughout the region also received family food packs (FFP) and non-food items from the DSWD-7.

Quintana said the provision of FFPs and non-food items are given based on the request of the LGUs.

“There were 59 LGUs in the region that requested for family food packs and non-food items,” said Quintana, adding that Cebu had the highest number at 51 LGUs followed by Bohol with five and three from Negros Oriental. (fcr/PIA7) 

Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)