The DSWD-7 says that vaccinated UCT beneficiaries will be given priority over the unvaccinated beneficiaries in the distribution of the cash card of the Landbank of the Philippines. | Photo courtesy of DSWD-7
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD-7) has prioritized vaccinated beneficiaries of the Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) from Cebu City in the distribution of its cash cards from the LandBank of the Philippines (Landbank).
UCT covers Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries, Social Pensioners and Listahanan Poor.
Shalaine Marie Lucero, assistant regional director of DSWD-7, said that this was based on the guidelines set by the Local Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) in Cebu City.
Lucero, however, clarified that non-vaccinated individuals can eventually claim their cash cards after they would finish the distribution of vaccinated UCT beneficiaries.
“Nakita man pod nato ang wisdon diha, although kung maghisgot ta sa katungod kay mo-assert man gyud ta sa atong rights, right man gyud to nila nga makuha nila ang ilang card. But because also of, number one, Landbank limitation kay 200 a day ra. So sa kadaghan sa thousands of beneficiaries, dili man nato ma-accommodate in once a day, so atong giuna ang vaccinated,” Lucero said.
(We also see the wisdom here, that although when we talk about rights because we would assert for our rights, it is also their right to get their card. But bacause also of, number one, Landbank limitation because it’s only 200 a day. So with the thousands of beneficiaries, we cannot accommodate them all at once in a day, so we made the first ones those who are vaccinated.)
She said that this was also a good strategy in preventing personnel from their office and LandBank to be exposed to unvaccinated individuals for their protection and their family.
“This is also a good strategy so that all others would have (to get) themselves vaccinated kay maayo man gyud tong bakunado tang tanan,” she added.
(This is also a good strategy so that all others would have (to get) themselves vaccinated because it is better that all of us are vaccinated.)
Since August this year, DSWD-7 through LandBank has already started the distribution of the cash cards.
Each cashcard contains P3,600 as assistance to UCT beneficiaries for the year 2020.
But even if she had approved the guidelines set by the Cebu City government, Lucero said that they still sent an appeal to the local IATF to reconsider their decision.
The distribution of the cash cards got delayed, due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
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