DAVAO CITY – About 96.73% or 920,124 families belonging to the low-income and informal sectors in the region have received the emergency subsidy of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) amounting to P6,000 as of May 20.

Of this number, 263,945 are Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries and 656,179 are non-4Ps. Some 31,069 remaining unserved families are set to receive their subsidies anytime this week.

46 out of the 49 local government units in the region have accomplished 100% implementation of the emergency subsidy program of the department.

DSWD, in its previous statements, clarified that among the reasons of the delay in the implementation is the health protocols observed during payouts.

“Dili nato ma-risgo sab ang safety sa atong mga staff ug ilabina sa atong mga benepisyaryo. Maong, atong gina-limit ra sab ang atong ma-cater kada adlaw,” OIC-Regional Director Grace Q. Subong said.

To date, 26 DSWD employees were subjected to a 14-day home quarantine following their exposure to a probable case of COVID-19 during payout.

The department who does direct cash payout in Davao City also considered the delayed submission of qualified beneficiaries in some barangays as one of the factors for the delay.

“Atong ginapaningkamutan nga mahuman ni ang atoang pag-implementar sa programa bisan pa nga aduna kitay mga limitasyon,,” Director Subong added.

The Emergency Subsidy Program (ESP) under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) of the national government shall be provided to the families most affected by the virtual economic standstill and most vulnerable to the economic slowdown resulting from the COVID-19 crisis and are now unable to earn their daily sustenance under the stay-at home or community quarantine conditions. ###