HIGH-RISK AREA. Donning their personal protective equipment, personnel of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 11 (Davao region) brave the front lines to distribute the government's emergency cash aid in Barangay 23-C, Davao City, which is considered a “very high-risk” area due to its high number of Covid-19 cases. DSWD-11 assured on Friday (May 22, 2020) that it would continue distributing the emergency cash aid and other government assistance despite the risks. (Photo courtesy of DSWD-11)
DAVAO CITY – To ensure that everybody gets a share of the government's emergency cash assistance, several staff members of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 11 (Davao region) have braved areas in this city with known coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases.
DSWD personnel recently distributed the social amelioration program (SAP) cash aid to beneficiaries in Barangay 23-C here, classified as a "very high-risk” area due to the clustering of cases in the village.
The city government has earlier warned the public to avoid going to the barangays due to their significant number of Covid-19 cases.
Elena Alingalan, assigned city link of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), said Friday they could not skip areas with known Covid-19 infections because qualified residents there are also in dire need of assistance.
“This is an opportunity to show that the ‘serbisyong malasakit’ knows no bounds. (Even though) there is a challenge of Covid-19 cases in my area, we will continue to be of service here,” Alingalan said.
She said DSWD personnel have likewise completed the SAP distribution in Barangay 13-B, also classified by the local government as a "very high-risk” area.
Early this month, DSWD-11 bared that at least 26 employees were quarantined for 14 days following their exposure to a suspected carrier of Covid-19 during a SAP payout.
Alingalan said DSWD personnel are fully equipped with personal protective equipment during the payout in high-risk areas.
She added that beneficiaries in other areas tagged as "high-risk", such as Barangay 21-C, Leon Garcia, and Buhangin Proper, would also "be given their share."
“Despite the threat of Covid-19 in the communities, the department is determined to complete the distribution of the subsidy even in areas with confirmed cases as the thought of still having unserved families up to this date remains a bigger challenge than the unseen coronavirus,” Alingalan said.
Meanwhile, about 96.73 percent or 920,124 families belonging to the low-income and informal sectors in the region have received the emergency subsidy amounting to PHP6,000 as of Wednesday, DSWD-11 said in a statement Friday.
Of this number, 263,945 are Pantawid beneficiaries and 656,179 are non-4Ps while some 31,069 remaining unserved families will receive their subsidies within the week.
“We cannot afford to compromise the safety of our staff and especially our clients. Therefore, we limit the number of beneficiaries we cater to every day,” DSWD-11 OIC Director Grace Q. Subong said.
The Emergency Subsidy Program provided under SAP is given to the most vulnerable sectors directly affected by various quarantine measures to contain the spread of Covid-19. (PNA)
