HOUSE Deputy Speaker and Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez has urged the City Government and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Northern Mindanao to release the cash assistance or ECQ Special Ayuda to the beneficiaries listed by the barangay officials.
The appeal was in response to the barangay officials' complaints on the lists they submitted to the City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) not being followed in the final database of beneficiaries.
"We received overwhelming complaints, both through text message and online, about the list of cash assistance beneficiaries in CDO. Many of our barangay officials say that the data they provided to CSWD were not followed or adopted," Rodriguez said.
"The final list released by CSWD allegedly contained names of more than four beneficiaries per family and names even of dead people. Also those with four or more family members only received P1,000," he added.
The deputy speaker appealed to the City Government and DSWD to follow the list of beneficiaries prepared and submitted by the barangay officials, saying these are the most updated lists with names of beneficiaries who are "in dire need" of the cash assistance during the ECQ.
He also urged the local government to strengthen the Grievance and Appeals Committee, as required under the guidelines of DSWD. The committee is the one that addresses complaints or grievances coming from constituents.
Mayor Oscar Moreno, for his part, said the list of beneficiaries that they have are the list approved by the DSWD and not just the list of the CSWD.
"Kanang listahan sigon sa agreement that we entered into with DSWD to be approved by DSWD. Targeted kini nga ayuda distribution," Moreno said.
"Ang listahan that we are guided with, katong listahan nga gi-approve sa DSWD, dili lista lang sa city hall," he added.