DSWD field offices seek extension of deadline for filing cash aid liquidation reports

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has received requests to extend the deadline for the submission of liquidation reports by local government units tasked to distribute emergency cash aid for low-income households.

This was disclosed by President Rodrigo Duterte in his report to Congress on Monday as mandated by the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, which gave him additional powers to effectively respond to the COVID-19 crisis.

Under the guidelines of the social amelioration program, each LGU is required to submit to the DSWD a liquidation report within 15 working days from the completion of the distribution. The report must contain the encoded list of beneficiaries.

A total of 1,265 LGUs nationwide were able to meet the May 10 deadline for distributing the first tranche of the emergency cash aid, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said Monday.

“However, the DSWD has been receiving a number of requests from its field offices to extend the deadline for the liquidation of the first tranche and to possibly consider authorizing partial liquidation to enable them to commence with the preparations for the distribution of the second tranche of SAP,” Duterte said.

The President said the requests were made in light of the delay in the distribution of the financial assistance due to reasons such as limited manpower and thorough validation of target beneficiaries.

Around 18 million low-income families were targeted to receive monthly cash subsidies ranging from P5,000 to P8,000 for two months as mandated by the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.

In his report, Duterte said the DSWD is in the process of finalizing the guidelines for “waitlisted families,” estimated at 5 million, and undertaking steps to validate the lists of waitlisted families through cross-matching with available databases.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases earlier recommended increasing the number of beneficiaries from 18 million to 23 million low-income families. — BM, GMA News