Sick tricycle driver dies without receiving ayuda; DSWD looking to improve system

A sick tricycle driver died in the hospital and missed out on his cash assistance from the government after his daughter was refused from claiming the benefit on his behalf.

According to Ian Cruz's report on "24 Oras," Jimmy Garriga had been a tricycle driver for over 30 years and was a member of the Batasan Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association in Quezon City. He was included in the list of beneficiaries.

Since Garriga was confined in the hospital, His daughter Shikinah Cuebellas tried to secure the cash assistance with his authorization, a document which he signed with difficulty because of his illness.

“Yung time po na yun sabi ko, ‘Pa, may ayuda ka.’ Sabi ko, ‘kaya mo? Kaya mo mag-sign?’ Nag-sign. Nag-sign po siya for authorization. Kahit hindi niya po kaya, hindi niya magalaw, pinilit niya po,” said Cuebellas.

(That time I said, ‘Pa, you have a subsidy.’ I said, ‘Can you do it? Can you sign?’ He signed. He signed for authorization. Even if he couldn’t do it, he couldn’t move; he forced himself to do it.)

At the payout queue, Cuebellas presented the authorization letter and a medical certificate from the hospital, but she was still not allowed to receive the benefit.

“Nagtututuro na po kung sino po pwede kakausap sa akin. Dahil nga po si Papa ang nasa masterlist, ako po yung mag-sign. Bawal daw po yun… Okay lang naman po kahit hindi nakuha ni Papa yung payout. Pero sana po sa susunod, maging case-to-case basis,” she said.

(I kept pointing out to whoever could talk to me. It was because my father had been the one on the masterlist, but I would be the one to sign it. They said it wasn’t allowed… It’s alright if Papa couldn’t get the payout. But I hope next time, it would become a case-by-case basis.)

Garriga passed away on Thursday.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is looking into how the distribution system could be improved.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said, "Kawawa rin naman yung tao namin. Dahil in that sense na pag nagkamali siya, may tinanggap siyang authorization because pinakita to pero in the end nag-claim yung tao, ang mananagot sa liability na yun yung paymaster."

(Our personnel would be in a pitiful situation if he made a mistake. If he received an authorization letter and gave the cash to the bearer, but the beneficiary later showed up and made a claim, the paymaster will be responsible.)

Gatchalian said the DSWD could schedule multiple special payouts.

The DSWD has since visited Gariga’s wake to provide burial assistance and said that he had also been provided medical assistance while he was admitted to the hospital.

Meanwhile, several tricycle drivers in City Halls still have not received their subsidies due to issues with the list provided to the Quezon City Hall.

“So magkakaroon, magsusubmit ulit kami ng listahan sa DSWD. So inaayos na namin 'to. Yung mga listahan mag-o-open uli. Kukunin uli namin sa mga presidente ng TODA kung sino pa sa mga miyembro nila ang hindi pa nakakatanggap,” said QC-Social Services Development Department OIC Ma. Lorelei Salvador.

(We will have and submit another list to the DSWD. We are fixing it now. The lists will open again. We will gather the lists of members who have not yet been able to get payouts from TODA presidents.)

Fuel subsidies for jeepney, TNVS, and service delivery drivers will begin on Tuesday, while payouts for motorcycle taxi drivers will begin on March 28.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will also provide subsidies for city bus drivers and regular taxi drivers. –Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/NB, GMA Integrated News