WHO can benefit from the government's social amelioration program (SAP)?
This is the question the Cebu City’s Department of Social Welfare Services (DSWS) wants to be clarified before the City starts SAP the distribution.
The City, together with the 80 barangay captains, will meet with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to clarify who will be the beneficiaries of the SAP on Monday, April 13, 2020.
DSWS head Jeffrey Ibones said the guidelines given to the local government units need to be more defined.
“The guidelines stated that senior citizens are included, but what if the senior citizen has a family member that is still working? Is the senior citizen still qualified? Lactating mothers are also included, but what if her husband is working abroad and is not affected by the crisis?,” said Ibones.
“They said that the poorest of the poor are priorities, but what is the definition when we say ‘poorest of the poor?” he added.
Ibones said the guidelines need to be clarified so the distribution will be done smoothly.
“It was also stated in the guidelines that the individuals should have this certain income per year for them to be qualified, but how will we do that? Should we ask for their BIR documents (Bureau of Internal Revenue)?” said Ibones.
He also pointed out if those beneficiaries of the programs undertaken by the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) can still be recipient of DSWD’s SAP.
Ibones, though, assured once the guidelines will be iron out, the City will immediately start with the distribution.
He said the DSWS had already secured the project proposal for the SAP distribution and the Sangguniang Panlungsod passed a resolution on April 6, authorizing the mayor to sign the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).
He said the mayor is expected to sign the MOA on Monday, April 13.
The distribution should begin within 48 hours from the time the mayor sign the MOA, Ibones said
“We do not want to rush, though it should have been distributed by now, but if we will not iron this out, it will be a disorganized distribution,” said Ibones.
“There were many complaints with the rice distribution in which the City prepared for the around 230,000 beneficiaries, how much more with the SAP,” he said. (JJL)