Cash aid for 60,000 families in jeopardy

Around 60,000 families in Cebu City who spent months processing their requirements will not get their cash assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) after it stopped the distribution of the cash aid.

In his news conference last Monday, Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he had helped the families for months to get the aid but the opposition blocked the program.

Each family was supposed to get P10,000 in cash assistance under the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of DSWD.

For this year alone, the DSWD set aside some P600 million for 66,000 beneficiaries from the city’s 80 barangays.

Osmeña again criticized Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella after learning that the latter allegedly caused the suspension of the distribution.

In a Facebook post, Osmeña said the financial assistance was even made available to everyone regardless of political affiliation.

“Through months of coordination with DSWD and the office of Sen. Loren Legarda, I managed to enroll Cebu City in a program that would have helped tens of thousands of Cebuanos avail themselves of a 10,000 peso grant so they can start their own small business and livelihood,” he said.

Labella has already denied allegations that he had a hand in the suspension of the distribution of the SLP.

He said that the concern he raised on the distribution was only its timing, considering that it’s close to the May 14 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan election.

“With due respect, I think the mayor is mistaken. I am not in the position (to stop the distribution). I don’t have the authority, I can’t stop that. That is a National Government-funded program,” he added.