DSWD open to publish list of beneficiaries; unqualified recipients to refund gov't

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday welcomed proposals to publish the list of beneficiaries of the emergency cash subsidies distributed by the government under its social amelioration program (SAP).

In a virtual briefing, DSWD Undersecretary Camilo Gudmalin said it is open to release a list of beneficiaries of the SAP for the sake of transparency.

"Ang DSWD at tsaka ang Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) have been advocating transparency of our programs and it is only proper that the public will know who the beneficiaries are," he said.

According to the DSWD, the publication of a list will also allow the public to scrutinize the beneficiaries, and those unqualified should be reported to the authorities.

"Report to the authorities if ever there are beneficiaries who are in the list that they felt doesn't qualify for the social amelioration programs so we will come this initiative coming from DILG," said Gudmalin.

Unqualified beneficiaries to refund government

In the same interview, Gudmalin said beneficiaries who already received assistance but are unqualified for the program will have to return the amount to the government.

He said the DSWD will conduct validation and post-audit after the payouts based on reports by the local government units to ensure that only the qualified beneficiaries are reached.

"Pagbigyan ng advisory ang ating mga concerned local government units na itong mga pondo na naibigay ay ire-refund doon sa DSWD," said Gudmalin.

"Pagbigyan din natin 'yung kaukulang panahon ang ating local government units na iapela ang ating mga findings at ito'y ireresolba ng DSWD sa madaliang panahon," he added. --KBK, GMA News