GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has enlisted some 21,392 additional households in Region 12 (Soccsksargen) and parts of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) as beneficiaries of the national government’s Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) program.
Bai Zorahayda Taha, DSWD-12 director, said Friday they have begun processing the release of the additional cash subsidy to new beneficiaries, who were identified through the agency’s Listahanan or the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction database.
She said they are coordinating with local social welfare officers and branches of the Land Bank of the Philippines, which will be used for the payout of cash grants.
Taha said their personnel are processing the downloading of the master list of beneficiaries to different branches of Land Bank.
“The notification, registration and payout for the newly-identified beneficiaries will start after the required social preparations,” she said in a statement.
The official said a total of 10,788 new beneficiaries were identified in Soccsksargen and 10,604 in BARMM.
In Soccsksargen, North Cotabato topped the list with 4,158 households, followed by South Cotabato with 2,663, Sultan Kudarat with 2,138, Sarangani with 1,244, and Cotabato City with 585.
The BARMM beneficiaries comprise 6,521 households in Maguindanao and 4,083 in Lanao del Sur, including Marawi City.
DSWD-12 currently has operational jurisdiction over the provinces of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur.
The agency listed Cotabato City under Soccsksargen although it is already part of the BARMM.
The national government launched the subsidy program last year to help poor households cope with the implementation of Republic Act 10963, or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.
Beneficiaries receive monthly subsidies for three years, starting with PHP200 or a total of PHP2,400 in 2018 and PHP300 or PHP3,600 annually in 2019 and in 2020.
Taha said they have so far identified a total of 334,660 poor households in Soccsksargen and BARMM as beneficiaries of the UCT.
She said some 157,052 households are from Soccksargen and 177,608 from the provinces of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur in BARMM. (PNA)
