Pasig City identifies over P1B for supplemental cash aid to 150k families not covered by DSWD

The cash assistance for around 150,000 families in Pasig City who are not included in the list of beneficiaries for the national government's social amelioration program will be shouldered by the local government, Mayor Vico Sotto said Wednesday.

"Ang gagawin po natin sa Pasig, nakahanap po kami ng pondo. Over P1 billion po 'yung na-identify natin na pondo para dagdagan po 'yung tinatawag nating Pasig Suplemental Social Amelioration Program," Sotto said in an interview on GMA News' Unang Balita.

"Sa ngayon, ang nakikita nating puwedeng ibigay ng lokal na pamahalaan doon sa 150,000 families para sa supplemetal SAP namin nasa around P8,000," he added, noting that the amount will be finalized on Thursday.

Sotto explained that only 93,000 out of the 260,000 qualified families in Pasig were included in the Department of Social Welfare and Development's list.

While expressing gratitude for the said coverage, the mayor said he cannot neglect the other families needing assistance amid the enhanced community quarantine.

'Yung hindi po mabibigyan, yung wala po sa listahan ng 93,000 families sasaluhin po ng lokal na pamahalaan ng Pasig," he said.

Further, Sotto said the budget for the national government's cash assistance has already been downloaded to the Pasig City government but distribution shall start once they get hold of the final list of beneficiaries vetted by the DSWD.

"Wala pa sa amin yung final approved list ng DSWD. Sabi nila ay noong Lunes o Martes kaso wala pa ho. As soon as we receive the final approved list we can start distribution," he said.

The distribution of cash aid will be door-to-door or in small clusters, the mayor said.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Tuesday also encouraged local government leaders to find ways to finance the needs of their qualified constituents who were not covered by the social amelioration program and reimburse these later on.

"Pakiusap naman natin sa mga local official, abonohan ninyo 'yung kulang at saka natin singilin 'yung DSWD. Katulong ninyo kami na maniningil diyan at kung ano ang pondong kailangan, kung kailangan kaming gumawang batas para diyan, gagawin namin," he said. — RSJ, GMA News