DSWD admits delay in distribution of second tranche of cash aid

There is a delay in the distribution of the second tranche of Social Amelioration Program (SAP) to individuals whose livelihoods were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Social Welfare Undersecretary Rene Glen Paje said Monday.

In a press briefing, Paje said that only more than 5.1 million beneficiaries have received the cash assistance as of Sunday.

“Batid po natin 'yung pagkakaantala ng pamamahagi natin ng second tranche ng Social Amelioration Program,” Paje said.

“Ayon sa huling datos natin, kahapon July 26, ay mahigit sa P32.05 billion ang naipamahagi ng DSWD,” he added.

The SAP targets around 12 million beneficiaries for the second tranche.

Paje explained that only 4.3 million beneficiaries have registered in ReliefAgad, which is an application for the planned cashless and digital distribution of the cash assistance.

Due to this, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has failed to meet its July target for the distribution of cash assistance to all beneficiaries.

Paje said DSWD relied on the manual distribution of the subsidy. According to him, some of the SAP forms submitted to them have incomplete information, which caused further delay in the process.

Of the 5.1 million beneficiaries who already received the cash assistance, 1.3 million are Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries, while 2.4 million are non-4P beneficiaries.

Paje added that 1.2 million of them are waitlisted beneficiaries and 37,000 are transport network vehicle service (TNVS) and public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers.

On Thursday, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian expressed disappointment with DSWD over the delay in the distribution of the SAP aid.

"Isa sa mga underperforming agencies ay itong DSWD dahil ang bola nasa kamay na nila pagdating sa pag-e-execute nitong SAP at hanggang ngayon wala pa rin [ang second tranche]," Gatchalian said

'Yung unang SAP, puwede pa natin patawarin na mabagal, magulo, ang database hindi maayos but we've already learned from that first SAP. Nasa second SAP na tayo, hindi mo na puwedeng gamitin [excuse] na magulo, si mayor pa rin, it's really execution," he added. —KBK, GMA News