THE digital distribution of financial aid to National Capital Region (NCR) recipients under the Special Amelioration Program (SAP) is already in full swing and disbursed to more than 70,000 beneficiaries.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano yesterday said that as of Friday (August 7), a total of 71,701 waitlisted families had received their share as he called on others to exercise physical social distancing while claiming the government assistance.
Ano said the government expected that the NCR distribution will be completed by August 15.
He said that the disbursement to some 1,553,052 original family beneficiaries have also started in the pilot cities of Caloocan, Makati, Pasig, and Quezon City.
Waitlisted family beneficiaries are to receive P16,000 corresponding to 2 tranches of the SAP while original family beneficiaries who already received their first tranche last April-May will receive their second tranche of P8,000.
On the other hand, 4Ps beneficiaries will also receive their second tranche of P8,000.
A total of P28.3 billion has been allocated for SAP 2 by the government.
All 17 LGUs in Metro Manila, corresponding to a total of 2,675,610 family beneficiaries (original, 4Ps and waitlisted) shall receive their emergency subsidy through digital means and there will be no manual distribution unlike in the first tranche of the SAP.
“Both the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the DILG agreed that we will largely distribute SAP 2 via digital disbursement and we will only resort to manual disbursement in isolated rural areas in the provinces,” he said.
According to the DILG, Quezon City has the most number of waitlisted beneficiaries to receive their SAP 2 financial aid with 20,856 followed by Caloocan City with 18,704; and Pasig City with 17,865.
According to Ano, they recently met with all the LGUs of Metro Manila to seek their support in locating some of the family-beneficiaries who did not indicate a phone number in their SAC forms.
“Since it’s now digital disbursement, the DSWD needs a phone number to be able to contact the beneficiaries. The LGUs have committed to help locate these beneficiaries through the barangay officials,” he said.
Meanwhile, 215,934 beneficiaries of the Pantawid ng Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) have already received their second tranche of the SAP amounting to a total of P1.4 billion through electronic disbursement.
DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya reminded SAP beneficiaries to practice minimum health standards, especially physical distancing, when they are claiming their financial aid in remittance centers.
“Our field offices have monitored long lines in some remittance centers, we advise them to practice social distancing at all times to protect themselves and their families,” he said.
