Over 15M households received social amelioration aid a day before May 10 deadline —DSWD

More than 15 million of the 18 million household-beneficiaries have already received emergency cash subsidies from the government amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) health crisis, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Sunday.

In a Dobol B sa News TV interview, DSWD spokesperson Director Irene Dumlao also said that over 85% of the P100 billion allocated for the first tranche of emergency cash subsidy have been sent out to beneficiaries as of Saturday, May 10.

"Ine-expect natin na ang mga numerong ito ay patuloy na aakyat gayong ang mga local government units ay patuloy naman ang isinasagawa nilang payouts," she said.

According to Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya in an interview on Saturday, the cash aid distribution has reached 85.49%.

The deadline for the distribution is on Sunday, May 10, he added.

On Sunday, beneficiaries went to payout centers as early as 5 a.m. to fall in line.

Dumlao said the DSWD gives its full trust to local government units that they will be able to perform their duty of providing the assistance to their respective constituents.

The department as well as the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will likewise assist these LGUs in distributing these funds to the intended beneficiaries, she added.

Under the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act, around 18 million low-income households belonging to the informal sector will be targeted to receive monthly emergency subsidies amounting to P5,000 to P8,000 for April and May.

First tranche cash subsidies that can no longer be distributed after May 10 should be liquidated and returned to the DSWD, Dumlao said.

"Kinakailangang magsumite tayo ng reports para mai-account natin kung saan napunta 'yung pondo. Ito ay ibabalik din natin. Nakaka-review tayo ng report na isusumite sa ating mga economic managers para naman ang pondong ito ay magamit din sa iba pang distribution. It can be used as funds for other activities," she said.

Malaya said the May 10 deadline for the distribution of the first tranche of cash subsidy will no longer be extended, citing a statement from Interior Secretary Eduardo Año.

Año moved the deadline of the distribution of cash aid from May 7 to May 10, considering the challenges being encountered by areas with a large number of population, including the National Capital Region, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, Bulacan, and Cebu and Davao City. 

Nevertheless, the Interior chief warned that LGUs who would still fail to meet the May 10 deadline will receive show cause orders from the agency. —Erwin Colcol/KG, GMA News