The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has distributed a total of P63.2 billion to more than 9.7 million family-beneficiaries of the second tranche of the emergency cash subsidy under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP).
As of August 5, the subsidy has already been provided to more than 1.3 million Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries; over 5.1 million low-income, non-4Ps families; and more than 3.2 million waitlisted families nationwide and in areas under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).
DSWD continues to urgently distribute the aid to the remaining beneficiaries through the simultaneous conduct of manual and digital payouts. The Department has developed a catch-up plan to expedite the provision of the subsidy to ensure that the set timeline for completion by the second week of this month will be met.
Under the digital payout, the SAP of more than 6.8 million beneficiaries have been assigned and funded for digital payment by the Department’s partner-Financial Service Provider (FSPs), including GCash, Paymaya, Starpay, RCBC, Robinsons Bank, and Unionbank.
The number includes 1,822,191 families who will receive their subsidy from GCash; 515,670 from Paymaya; 762,570 from RCBC; 100,933 from Robinsons Bank; 2,825,825 from Starpay; and 761,270 from Unionbank. Some 50,459 beneficiaries will receive their SAP from Landbank of the Philippines.
DSWD emphasized that the engagement of FSPs makes way for a faster and safer delivery of SAP, as it ensures a contactless provision of the aid.
Meanwhile, with the declaration of Modified ECQ (MECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR) and in Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Bulacan from August 4 to 18, the Department met with its partner-FSPs to ensure that beneficiaries in these areas will continuously be served. Payout and cash out partners of DSWD are allowed to operate in a 50% capacity, ensuring that minimum public health standards and the protocols set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases are strictly observed.
DSWD has also been coordinating closely with local government units (LGUs) to ensure that beneficiaries—those who are physically-fit and are Authorized Persons Outside Residence (APOR)—will be allowed to go out during their payout dates as well as when they need to cash out their subsidies.
The Department reiterated that it is committed to deliver the aid amid the health crisis as it recognizes the need for assistance of the most-affected families in these trying times.###