ILOILO City – Eighty local government units (LGUs) in Western Visayas may start releasing today cash assistance to their constituents economically displaced by the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) released to these LGUs yesterday P5,072,466,000 from the national government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP).
Region 6 has 133 LGUs.
According to DSWD assistant secretary Rhea Peñaflor, these 80 LGUs were the first to submit to the department their list of SAP beneficiaries.
Each identified beneficiary-family will receive P6,000, said Peñaflor during a press conference with DSWD Region 6 director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre.
The 80 LGUs were the following:
* Iloilo – Cabatuan, Calinog, Tubungan, Bingawan, Banate, San Rafael, Mina, Janiuay, Balasan, Barotac Viejo, Guimbal, Pototan, Zarraga, Iloilo City, Dueñas, Oton, Passi City, Alimodian, Ajuy, Tigbauan, New Lucena, Igbaras, Badiangan, Barotac Nuevo, San Enrique, San Joaquin, Dumangas, Miag-ao, Estancia, Maasin, Anilao
* Antique – Hamtic, Tibiao, Barbaza, Culasi, Patnongon, Anini-y, Libertad, Tobias Fornier, Valderrama
* Capiz – Dumarao, Roxas City, Mambusao
* Guimaras – San Lorenzo, Jordan, Sibunag
* Negros Occidental – Calatrava, Cadiz City, Himamaylan, Valladolid, Bacolod City, Pontevedra, Manapla, Ilog, Escalante City, Isabela, Cauayan, Binalbagan, Victorias City, Silay City, EB Magalona, Salvador Benedicto, La Castellana, Toboso, San Carlos City, Bago City, Moises Padilla, Murcia, Hinoba-an, Sipalay City, San Enrique, La Carlota City, Pulupandan, Sagay City, Candoni, Kabankalan City
Funds for other LGUs would be released as soon as their list of beneficiaries would have been validated, said Peñaflor.
Other LGUs have yet to submit their list to DSWD, she added.
LGUs may seek help from DSWD-6 field personnel in the distribution of the cash assistance.
“We would like to reiterate sa aton LGUs. The assistance is for those nga nagakinahanglan gid, sa wala sang may makaon kag inogbakal sang ila kinahanglanon sa pamilya,” said Peñaflor.
She mentioned the following:
* senior citizens
* persons with disability
* pregnant women
* lactating mothers
* solo parent
* overseas Filipino worker in distress
* indigent
* homeless
* informal workers
* occasional workers like househelpers
* drivers of pedicabs, tricycles, taxis, public utility buses, and public utility jeepneys
* micro-entrepreneurs
* sub-minimum wage earners
* farmers, fishermen (provided they are not recipients of assistance from the Department of Agriculture)
* workers in the private sector observing “no work, no pay” (provided they have not availed themselves of the COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program of the Department of Labor and Employment)
For her part, Director Macapobre reiterated that Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries are also covered by the SAP.
But since each 4Ps beneficiary-family already gets P2,150, DSWD would just added P3,850 so the total amount would reach P6,000, said Macapobre.
Peñaflor said DSWD has 1,472,683 target beneficiaries for SAP (these already include the 318,899 4Ps beneficiaries)./PN
