Cebu City needs bigger SAP allocation – Labella

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella.| CDND File Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines –The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has already made a commitment to release P823 million to fund the implementation of the Social Amelioration Program in Cebu City.

But Mayor Edgardo Labella said that the allocation that will go to 122, 000 low-income households is not enough.

Labella told CDN Digital in a phone interview today, April 8, 2020, that there are several other low-income households in the city that have not been listed under the SAP.  These include those with workers who were left jobless by the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine on March 28 and were already unable to go home to their respective families who are in the countryside.

He said that even renters, boarders, sharers who were left stranded in the city deserve government help.

Before his interview with CDND, Labella met with other city officials including Councilor Franklyn Ong, the president of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC), to discuss concerns on the distribution of the SAP funds.

On Tuesday, council members already gave Labella the authority to enter into MOA with DSWD to facilitate the release of the P823 million allocation to the city.

Read: Cebu City dads authorize Labella to enter into MOA with DSWD

In today’s meeting, Ong raised a concern that the DSWD allocation will never be enough for the city’s poor residents.

“Kasabot ko sa mga barangays. Silay maglisod ana if magkuwang ang kwarta,” Labella told CDND.

(I understand the concern of the barangays. They are the ones that will suffer if the DSWD allocation is not enough),” said the mayor.

Taking into consideration the outcome of their meeting, Labella said he sought the help of the DSWD Central Visayas office on their concerns on the need to allocate additional SAP funds for the city’s use.

Labella said he is hoping for a favorable reply from the national government agency.  At the same time, he is also praying for the immediate release of the P823 million allocation so they could already start with its distribution. / dcb