CASH AID. A social amelioration program beneficiary in Eastern Visayas claims the PHP5,000 emergency cash subsidy in a remittance center on Sept. 1, 2020. The Department of Social Welfare and Development reported on Friday (Sept. 11, 2020) that a total of 57,012 waitlisted families in the region have received the cash aid from the national government. (Photo courtesy of DSWD)
TACLOBAN CITY – A total of 57,012 waitlisted families in Eastern Visayas have received the PHP5,000 cash aid under the social amelioration program of the national government, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said on Friday.
This brought the total fund released in the region to PHP285.06 million, DSWD 8 (Eastern Visayas) chief Marie Angela Gopalan said in a statement.
The DSWD has already served 28,799 beneficiaries in Leyte, 10,375 in Samar, 9,283 in Northern Samar, 3,805 in Eastern Samar, 3,558 in Southern Leyte, and 1,192 in Biliran.
"These are qualified poor families who did not receive the cash grant during the first tranche,” Gopalan said.
The regional social welfare office began the direct payout of the SAP assistance in the first week of July and implemented the digital payout through Starpay in the second week of August to fast-track its distribution.
In the region, 129 out of 143 local government units (LGUs) have submitted a list of waitlisted beneficiaries.
A total of 38,420 families were listed from Leyte; 16,393 in Samar; 14,652 in Northern Samar; 5,310 in Eastern Samar; 4,663 in Southern Leyte; and 1,565 in Biliran.
Gopalan said 123 LGUs in the region were doing the payout as of Friday.
Under Republic Act 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, financial subsidies for two months will be granted to indigent families affected by the movement restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
However, Eastern Visayas is no longer included in the second tranche of the emergency cash subsidy due to its downgraded community quarantine status.
Gopalan said they released a total of PHP2.75 billion during the first tranche of the SAP, serving 550,480 families from the region’s 143 towns and cities.
Meanwhile, the region has confirmed a total of 3,688 Covid-19 cases since March, including 2,945 recoveries and 33 deaths, based on the Department of Health monitoring report. (PNA)
