LGUs told: Distribute aid in 3 days, or else…

Local government units (LGUs) should finish tomorrow the distribution of the first wave of emergency assistance provided to certain sectors affected by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) or face charges, Malacañang said yesterday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said local executives who fail to meet the deadline may be charged for dereliction of duty.

“The DILG has issued an order. All local government units have three days starting today to distribute the social amelioration program (SAP),” Roque said, referring to the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

“After that, there would be a show cause order requiring them to explain why they should not be held administratively and criminally liable for dereliction of duty, which is a form of graft,” he added.

The government has allotted P200 billion for the SAP, which aims to assist 18 million poor households.

A majority of the intended SAP beneficiaries have not received assistance, even as most LGUs have received the funds,

according to a report submitted by President Duterte to Congress.

The fifth weekly report on the government’s pandemic response showed there are about 13.56 million intended beneficiaries of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis (AICS) program who are not enrolled in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino cash transfer program or 4Ps.

As of April 23, only about 18 percent or 2.5 million beneficiaries have received the assistance, although the government has downloaded the funds to 1,490 of 1,634 LGUs. The AICS is one of the components of the SAP and is being administered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Of the P82.04-billion AICS funds allotted to non-4Ps beneficiaries, about P79.97 billion was downloaded to LGUs.

Of the P79.97 billion, only P14.45 billion has been distributed. The 13.56 million beneficiaries not part of 4Ps constitute the majority of the 18 million households who are supposed to benefit from the AICS.

Other intended beneficiaries of AICS are the 4.4 million families who are part of 4Ps and the 90,000 workers in the transport sector.

As of April 23, around 3.72 million households who are enrolled in 4Ps and 40,418 transport workers have been served.

Of the 18 million target beneficiaries of AICS, only about a third or six million have received the assistance. The total budget for the AICS is P100.9 billion. The government has disbursed P96.85 billion. Of the amount, P31.12 billion was distributed to the beneficiaries. For households enrolled in 4Ps, the total amount disbursed is P16.56 million. Of the amount, P16.35 million has been distributed to the beneficiaries.

The government also disbursed P323.34 million worth of assistance to transport workers. Duterte apologized to households who have not received assistance from the government.

He gave assurance that the agencies are working to make the distribution of financial assistance more efficient.

In a public address on Monday night, the President urged households who have not received the aid to file a complaint before their local officials or radio stations. “To those who have not received, let us know by radio or what. Complain to your radio stations or to your mayors, barangay captain then the mayors... It’s a matter of just using a cellphone... you can report to the governor or the governor will just ask Malacañang who were left behind,” Duterte said.

With regard to the COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program, which aims to help affected formal workers, nearly 99 percent or 344,805 of the 349,354 target beneficiaries have received financial assistance.

However, only 20,500 of 135,720 intended beneficiaries of the Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong, a program for displaced migrant workers, have been served.

A total of 220,320 of the 235,949 target beneficiaries have benefited from the Tulong Panghanapbuhay for Displaced/Disadvantaged Workers, a program for the informal sector. As of April 22, a total of 53,881 rice farmers out of 591,246 intended beneficiaries received aid from the financial subsidy for rice farmers program.

Still waiting

Some 10 million low-income families are still waiting for the emergency cash aid being provided by the government for those who are affected by measures imposed to contain the coronavirus.

As of yesterday, data from the DSWD showed that only 8.2 million of the targeted 18 million families have received the cash subsidy for the month of April.

Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista said they have downloaded P80.7 billion to 1,515 LGUs for distribution of the P5,000 to P8,000 subsidy for low-income families.

However, only P23.8 billion has been released so far to around 4.5 million qualified beneficiaries.

The DSWD earlier set the deadline for release of the subsidy by the end of this month.

Not enough

Some LGUs are having difficulty in implementing the program, including verifying the list of qualified beneficiaries.

They requested for additional slots, noting the funds allocated to them was not enough to cover all qualified beneficiaries.

During a virtual press briefing on Tuesday, Bautista said they are still crafting policies regarding those who would be qualified for the subsidy next month.

Roque said only beneficiaries in areas under ECQ would receive the second tranche of the cash aid.

Grievance system

The DSWD established a grievance redress system to act on reported anomalies in the distribution of cash aid.

Bautista said families not in the initial list of beneficiaries but are qualified may file an appeal with their respective local social welfare offices within three days from the start of distribution of assistance in their barangays.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said local governments need to fasttrack the distribution of the SAP financial assistance until the end of the month, otherwise they will be held accountable.

Under a memorandum issued by the DSWD, LGUs are mandated to abide by the terms in the distribution of the cash subsidy, which include a four-day deadline once the funds are downloaded to them.

Año said they received reports that some low-income families have yet to receive the financial aid despite having filled out the needed forms.

Commended

The DILG commended SAP beneficiaries who waived the cash assistance so other qualified beneficiaries could avail themselves of the aid.

“Their honesty and compassion for their fellowmen in the middle of this crisis show the inherent goodness of Filipinos that shines brighter in the darkest of circumstances like the COVID-19 pandemic,” Año said.

Among the beneficiaries who returned the cash assistance is Cesar Brillantes, a deaf-mute pedicab driver from Tabaco, Albay.

Brillantes returned P5,000 given by officials of Barangay San Carlos as he is no longer a resident of the village.

Brillantes only received the amount given by officials of Barangay Basud, where he currently resides.

Another beneficiary who returned the P5,000 cash assistance is Jonathan Ballester of Barangay Tuburan in Ligao City.

Ballester’s wife, who was also included in the list of beneficiaries, received the same amount.

These acts of honesty and kindness, Año said, are a breath of fresh air in the wake of reports that some beneficiaries spent the assistance on gambling, alcohol and illegal drugs.