DSWD targets 80% payout for 2nd tranche of cash aid by end-July

Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rolando Bautista said Saturday that 80 percent of the target cash aid beneficiaries for the second tranche of the Social Amelioration Program will get their payout by end of July.

In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, Bautista said, "Ang projection namin, by end of July makaka-80% kami ng payout. 'Yung 20% ito 'yung isasailim sa cross checking, dino-double check namin."

Also he said that the money is already in the hands of the DSWD. But the process of double-checking the list of qualified beneficiaries has taken a lot of time.

"May mga benepisyaryo po na na-doble ang natanggap na ayuda. Dapat bawiin ito ng  local government unit (LGU)," he added.

He said the DSWD started the payout in some areas of the National Capital Region through online payment.

But some regions in the country, the payout was made through manual disbursement.

Likewise, he said, "Mabibigyan po ng ayuda ang mga nasa ECQ [enhanced community quarantine] areas, pero inaayos po natin ang sa digital payment at magkakaroon din po ng manual payout."

For beneficiaries not listed in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), and even those under 4Ps, only those in ECQ areas will get the subsidy, he clarified.

During the hearing of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, early in June, DSWD officials took a grilling over the "seemingly slow" distribution of the second tranche of the emergency cash subsidy to qualified beneficiaries.

DSWD Undersecretary Danilo Pamonag then revealed that out of the around 17 million target beneficiaries, only 1.3 million have so far received the second tranche of the emergency cash subsidy. Most of them are beneficiaries of the 4Ps.

The target beneficiaries comprise of around 12 million low-income families who are living in areas declared under ECQ by Executive Order 112 issued on April 30 and the May 2 memorandum issued by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, as well as 5 million wait-listed beneficiaries. —LBG, GMA News