MANILA, Philippines – The distribution of the second round of cash aid under the government’s social amelioration program (SAP) will start next week, Malacañang said Tuesday.
During an online briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said this is based on the assurance made to him by Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rolando Bautista.
“By next week, ready na silang magdistribute,” he said.
Roque expressed confidence that the distribution of the SAP second tranche will be faster this time as part of the fund will be electronically transferred to the beneficiaries.
“It will take them two days to distribute electronically and the rest with the assistance of armed forces. So tuloy na tuloy po yan,” he said.
The Palace official earlier assured that the government’s cash assistance for low-income households heavily hit by the COVID-19 pandemic will proceed even if its enabling law, the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, expires this month.
Under the law, around 18 million low-income households will be given P5,000 to P8,000 cash assistance for the months of April and May.
The number of beneficiaries was later expanded to add five million more families who were ’left out’ in the first tranche but are qualified in the program guidelines.
The government earlier said that police and military will assist the DSWD and local government units in distributing the cash aid’s second tranche in far-flung and ‘problematic’ areas. – RRD (with details from Correspondent Rosalie Coz)
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