SAP recipients in Region 6 at 163K more families

By Gail Momblan, June 13, 2020

The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Western Visayas (DSWD 6) said the region has 163,617 additional families for the Social Amelioration Program (SAP).

Additional families or left-out families are those who have no independent financial capacity but were unable to receive aid on SAP’s first tranche, said Ma. Evelyn Macapobre, DSWD 6 regional director, in a virtual presser yesterday.

The 133 local government units in the region were given until June 9 to submit the names of the additional families for SAP.

“We would like to reiterate that these left-out or what we call now the additional families were not able to receive (the aid) on the first tranche but they are eligible based on the guidelines. We set the deadline for the LGUs to submit until Tuesday the list of their left-out families. We have 163, 617 names of left-out families and these are submitted to the central office,” Macapobre said.

Yesterday, she has met with the local chief executives in the region to discuss other concerns on the list of additional families.

She said that some of the local government units, mostly from the province of Iloilo, lack the certification or endorsement from the municipal social welfare and development officer.

“If it lacks the certification, maybe it will not be considered by the DOF (Department of Finance),” she said.

Macapobre appealed for the cooperation of the local government units to fast track the validation and the distribution of the aid to additional families.

With everyone’s cooperation, she said the region can finish the payout before the June 24 deadline as set by the “Bayanihan To Heal as One” Act.

BACOLOD, ILOILO INCLUDED

Meanwhile, Macapobre said the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management on Emerging Infectious has recommended that Iloilo province, Iloilo City, and Bacolod City will be included in the second tranche of SAP.

“All of our payout for SAP is only until June 24,” she said, adding that the regional office is working to beat the deadline.*