HONEST 4Ps BENEFICIARIES. A beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) returns the PHP6, 000 Social Amelioration Program (SAP) aid he got from the national government in this undated photo. A total of 132 4Ps beneficiaries from Antique return the SAP aid, a 4Ps organizer said on Tuesday (May 5, 2020). (Photo courtesy of Pamilyang Pantawid Sibalom)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – A total of 132 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries in the province returned the cash aid under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) after learning they were ineligible to avail of the assistance.
Jeffrey Gabucay, Antique Pantawid Provincial Link, said Tuesday they are grateful to the 4Ps beneficiaries who returned the assistance that was released to them.
“We laud the 4Ps beneficiaries who showed their honesty and sincerity in returning the SAP,” he said in an interview.
A 4Ps beneficiary is eligible to receive the SAP downloaded to the local government unit (LGUs) because their share was given as top up of the payout cash grant that was given to them in March, Gabucay said.
A beneficiary received PHP1,350 on top of the 4Ps regular cash grant of PHP4,650.
With the top up, the 4Ps beneficiary also receives PHP6,000, which is the equivalent amount given to non-Pantawid beneficiaries.
“The SAP supposedly released by the LGUs is for the non-Pantawid beneficiaries only,” he said.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has downloaded PHP133,440,550 for the SAP aid to 26,359 Pantawid beneficiaries in the province.
“During the cross-matching of the names of the SAP beneficiaries identified by the LGUs, we learned that there were 4Ps beneficiaries who were also included,” Gabucay said.
They were immediately informed by their barangay officials to return the amount due to duplication.
The 4Ps beneficiaries who returned their SAP included 39 from Sibalom 23 from Libertad, 20 from Lau-an, 15 from Caluya, eight from Culasi, seven from Bugasong, six from Patnongon, five from Belison, three from Hamtic, two each from San Jose de Buenavista and Remigio and one each from Pandan and Valderrama.
Sibalom has the biggest number of 4Ps who returned their SAP; 22 indigenous people from Barangay Igcococ returned their SAP last May 1.
The total amount returned by the 4Ps beneficiaries to their respective municipal treasurers was PHP792,000.
“The amount could be reallocated by the LGU to the non-Pantawid beneficiaries who were left out,” he said.
He said there are indigent and displaced families due to the coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19) in the province who were not identified by the LGUs as SAP recipients could be given the returned amount. (PNA)
