CASH AID BENEFICIARIES. Some beneficiaries express their gratitude on the government's Social Amelioration Program (SAP) which was distributed through the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Robert (in the middle of the collage), a tricycle driver from Leyte, said the PHP5,000 monthly cash assistance is a huge help for him as he cannot provide financial support for his family due to the quarantine restrictions. (Photos from DSWD)
MANILA – Beneficiaries of the government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP) shared their sentiments after receiving financial assistance amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In a series of posts on the DSWD social media pages recently, beneficiaries like "Nanay Marcelina" of Southern Leyte expressed gratitude, saying she can now afford to buy medicine and food for her family.
“Parang birthday gift sa akin ang ayuda na nakuha ko sa kaarawan ko (It’s like their gift for me, I got it on my birthday),” she said.
Meanwhile, Lorila Mataganas shared on Facebook that she invested the money to start a sari-sari store in their area.
“Ginawa ko pong puhunan kasi wala na kaming aasahan. Kahit papiso-piso ang tubo at least hindi po naubos agad yung bigay ng DSWD. Maraming salamat sa inyo, God bless! (I put up a small store in our neighborhood. Although the income may be small, at least we now have something to depend on. This way, the aid we got from DSWD will be consumed for a long-term basis. Thank you and God bless!),” Mataganas said, as she shared a photo of her sari-sari store in the comment section on Facebook.
Another beneficiary said the assistance helped them carry on through the implementation of the stay-at-home order.
“Hindi lamang ito pera, kundi napalaking tulong upang maitawid nami ang pang-araw-araw na buhay sa gitna ng enhanced community quarantine (This is more than just money, this enabled us to go on with our lives during the enhanced community quarantine),” Irene Sabong from Navotas City said.
As of 8 p.m. of May 17, DSWD said it has already distributed PHP78,933,406,900 to 13,034,930 non-Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P’s) grantees.
That is part of the PHP81,684,964,650 total fund that was downloaded to the local government units (LGUs) in the country to allocate for those families who qualified for the program or considered as low-income and are the most affected sector by the government’s containment measures.
The 4P’s grantees received their cash assistance directly through their cash cards.
DSWD said they already sent PHP17,477,328,550 to 4,021,496 families.
The DSWD has also coordinated with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to support the families of drivers of transport network vehicle services (TNVS) and public utility vehicle (PUV) who were affected by the suspension of mass transport in the National Capital Region (NCR).
It has recently entered into a partnership with G-Xchange, Inc. (GCash), one of the leading mobile wallet platforms in the Philippines, for the distribution of the emergency subsidy under the SAP for a quicker and safer approach of cash disbursement.
TNVS driver-beneficiaries may withdraw their subsidies via GCash from any Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) nationwide or use the funds to pay for physical and online transactions.
They may also use GCash to pay bills to over 70,000 merchants and billers, buy airtime load, and easily transfer money to other GCash account owners or bank accounts from over 40 financial institutions nationwide. (PNA)
