A DAVAO City councilor calls on the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to address some lapses in the distribution of the second tranche of the social amelioration program (SAP), resulting in the non-observance of the minimum health protocol and the proliferation of fixers.
Councilor Diosdado Mahipus Jr. said he has received reports that there are large queues of beneficiaries in some payment centers in the city that two-meter physical distancing was not anymore observed.
Beneficiaries, including senior citizens and pregnant women, were also reported lining up as early as 2 a.m. to be the first in line to claim their SAP aid.
"Our health protocols are endangered of being violated which put to waste the efforts of our city and the sacrifices of our people, because the people are made to unnecessarily suffer not only inconvenience but also of contracting the virus," Mahipus said.
This was the subject of his privilege speech at the 19th City Council's regular session on Tuesday, August 25.
DSWD-Davao City is currently conducting distribution of the second tranche of SAP, where qualified indigent beneficiaries can receive P6,000 to P8,000, depending on where the beneficiaries live and the quarantine category they are under.
DSWD-Davao Assistant Director Merlinda Paragamac told SunStar Davao in a previous interview that a total of P1.7 billion is currently being disbursed for the second tranche to an estimated 298,000 beneficiaries, which started early August this year.
Paragamac said they already set a scheduling system for an orderly distribution of the SAP, including limiting the number of beneficiaries to collect their aid for a day.
She said beneficiaries cannot claim their financial aid and other benefits from the agency's partner payment centers if it is not their schedule to claim it.
Paragamac said beneficiaries who will not be catered or were not able to claim their SAP can still claim it 15 days from their scheduled day to claim their subsidy.
However, Mahipus said DSWD should still address its issues on their system.
"However, even if the beneficiaries made it on the first 100 for the day, it doesn't mean he or she can claim or be catered because the claimants are controlled. Because payout centers are allegedly catering to the 'bahaw' [claimants]," the councilor said.
"Bahaw", a Filipino term for leftovers, is the councilor's term for SAP claimants who weren't catered on their scheduled day. He added this had resulted in larger queues.
Mahipus also said that he has information that even priority numbers are “controlled by fixers” who ask for P150 to P300 from beneficiaries for getting a number for the day.
"We want the fixers to know that we already know of this. Ayaw nalang unta pangwartaha ang mga SAP payout (Do not take advantage of getting income from our SAP beneficiaries)," he said.
He added, "With the beneficiaries shedding P300 for convenience, what will happen to those lining up for the day who will not be catered anymore?."
Some beneficiaries had to travel to neighboring districts to look for a center with shorter lines, but ended up with nothing, he said.
He said lapses and manipulation will lead to further delays, resulting in them being exposed to Covid-19.
“What will happen to those lining up for the day that will not be catered anymore? That is why despite the scheduling of payout the system will become disorganized and most importantly if we don’t have a working system the people will not only suffer inconvenience but will be at risk because of the long queue,” Mahipus said.
The councilor also called on the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) and barangay officials to assist DSWD in ensuring that the minimum health standard is observed in payment centers.
He also called on them to provide adequate shades, tents, chairs, and water for people in long lines.
Paragamac, meanwhile, said on Wednesday, August 26, that they are already addressing the issues, and ensured they are coordinating with the city government and DCPO in manning and enforcing the health protocols in SAP lines.