Emergency subsidy for beneficiaries of 4Ps in CV rolled out

Cash subsidy credited to cash cards

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The emergency subsidy in line with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has already been rolled out to all beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in Central Visayas.

Department of Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, in an online presser with members of Cebu media on Monday, April 6, 2020, said the cash subsidy for the 4Ps beneficiaries have been credited to their cash cards last Saturday, April 4, 2020.

Read: Over 250,000 4Ps beneficiaries in Central Visayas receive cash grants

In line with this, Malaya reminded the beneficiaries that since they have received their cash subsidy, they no longer need to apply in the social amelioration program (SAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“DSWD has already credited to the bank accounts of all the 4Ps beneficiaries of the province of Cebu and in the adjoining provinces of Bohol, Negros Oriental, [and Siquijor], and they have all received [it] in their cash cards already,” Malaya said.

“Since your subsidy is already in your cash cards, you don’t need to fill out the SAP forms anymore kasi hindi na kayo entitled to any of the other government benefits kasi ayaw nga po natin yung tinatawag na doble-doble,” the undersecretary explained.

The emergency subsidy, which is given along with their cash aid as 4Ps beneficiaries, will be disbursed for two months or in April and May.

Malaya also clarified that the assistance from the government amid the public health emergency will be given per household and not by individual.

DSWD National Household Targeting Office  Director Justin Batocabe, in the same presser, said that the cash assistance for those who are part of other social subsidy programs of the government will be credited the same way that they receive their regular subsidy.

“Kung parte ka na po ng isang partikular na sektor at dati ka ng kliyente [of other social programs], katulad ng mga drivers sa TODA at TNVS, meron na naman silang cashcards from LTFRB, so doon po namin pinapadaan para direcho na,” Batocabe explained.

However, Batocabe said that those who are not members of any social subsidy program will need to wait for their emergency subsidy in line with COVID-19 to be manually distributed to them based after they have applied for the SAP.

“May porsyento po talaga na kailangan mano-mano ang pagbigay. We have to really trust the LGUs to point us o the proper direction. Sila po yung magtuturo kung sino ang mga benepisyaryo nila at doon na po, ibababa po namin sa kanila [through] manual payoff,” Batocabe said.

Batocabe also clarified that the SAP will not be for all and that there is a specific number of households per region that will benefit from it.

In Cebu City, Batocabe said they targeted 149, 514 household-beneficiaries for the SAP.

“Nagbigay po ng computation ang DOF (Department of Finance) ng mga number of beneficiaries per region and we cascaded the same to our RDs (regional directors) and to our LGUs. Hati po yan up to the municipalities,” Batocabe said. /bmjo