More towns in Eastern Visayas complete SAP payout

AT LEAST 73 out of the 143 local government units (LGU) in Eastern Visayas have completed the payout under the emergency cash subsidy to families affected by the health crisis, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported on Friday.   

In a statement, DSWD Eastern Visayas director Marie Angela Gopalan said the initial deadline for the cash release was on April 30, however, it was delayed in some areas due to the validation of lists, while other LGUs lacked the manpower to facilitate the distribution.

“We are implementing social distancing and other safety measures during payouts. Some do the house-to-house distribution that cannot be done in one to two days,” she added.

In the region, 22 towns in Samar have completed the distribution of the PHP5,000 cash aid, 17 in Leyte, 16 in Eastern Samar, 12 in Southern Leyte, and six in Northern Samar.

“The extended deadline in the region was until May 4, but LGUs have requested the Department of the Interior and Local Government for another extension. While waiting for their response, the LGUs are continuously conducting the payout,” Gopalan said.

The regional office said the funds have been downloaded to all LGUs amounting to PHP2.98 billion and as of May 8, the total fund released was over PHP2.24 billion to 448,707 families.

Under Republic Act 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, financial support will be granted to indigent families affected by the quarantine measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

The cash assistance prioritizes those in the most vulnerable sector and the informal sector workers, granted per family, not individually.

“The government doesn’t have unlimited funds to cover all, so we manage it carefully and release them to the most deserving families,” Gopalan said, adding that other government agencies also provide a social amelioration program (SAP) for those affected by the health crisis.

Since the spread of Covid-19 in the country, a total of 19 cases have been confirmed in Eastern Visayas, two of whom have fully-recovered with zero deaths, according to the Department of Health.