Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 5) – Nearly four million low-income households received their cash assistance in the past week.
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rolando Bautista said Tuesday that over 98 percent of the budget allocated for the government’s cash assistance program has already been distributed to the local government units.
“Umabot na sa mahigit ₱68.2 billion ang naipahatid sa 12.5 million na benepisaryo ng social amelioration program,” Bautista said in a media briefing Tuesday.
[Translation: Up to ₱68.2 billion worth of cash aid has been delivered to 12.5 million beneficiaries of the social amelioration program.]
“Mayroon nang 459 out of 1,589 LGUs ang nakapagkamit na ng 100 percent completion rate sa pamamahagi ng social amelioration program,” he added.
[Translation: There are 459 out of 1,589 LGUs that have achieved 100 percent completion rate on social amelioration program distribution.]
Of this number, at least 8.6 million beneficiaries are not part of the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), while nearly 3.8 million 4Ps beneficiaries have received their cash aid, majority through their cash cards.
The DSWD also reported at least ₱323.3 million has been distributed to 40,000 transport vehicle service and public utility drivers in the national capital region who have lost their income due to the enhanced community quarantine.
The DSWD earlier said it will finish distributing cash aid to qualified recipients by the end of April. But a day before the deadline, only 8.7 million beneficiaries out of the target 18 million low-income households had received cash assistance.
In response, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said that they have granted a one-week extension for the distribution of cash assistance from the social amelioration program in Metro Manila, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, Bulacan, Cebu City, and Davao City.
A four-day extension has also been granted to other LGUs outside of these areas which are experiencing similar problems on aid distribution.
READ: Gov’t extends cash aid distribution in NCR, other areas for another week
The Regional Daily Report revealed that 603,222 households out of the more than 1.5 million target beneficiaries in Metro Manila have received the first tranche of cash aid under the social amelioration program, as of Tuesday.
The bulk of these households are from the City of Caloocan, City of Manila and Pasig City, while the local government units with the highest disbursement rates are Caloocan City at 77.45 percent, Pasig City at 76.06 percent and Valenzuela City at 66.70 percent.
The Department of Interior and Local Government said Saturday that they will provide an additional five million families with cash aid amid the COVID-19 crisis.
READ: DILG to add five million families in COVID-19 cash aid program
DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya clarified that the five million families are apart from the 18 million families who are qualified as beneficiaries of the social amelioration program, which grants ₱5,000 to ₱8,000 for each family belonging to the vulnerable sector.
When asked how the DSWD will implement the second phase of cash aid distribution, Bautista said they are awaiting an executive order from the Office of the President regarding the second tranche, as well as the additional five million families who will benefit from the program.
Bautista also expressed his gratitude to qualified beneficiaries who voluntarily waived their cash aid, among them residents of Benguet and Navotas, saying this will allow the DSWD to provide assistance to other households who may need it more.
CNN Philippines’ Correspondent AC Nicholls contributed to this report.
