Davao Occidental: The local governments in Davao Occidental are set to distribute next week the emergency cash subsidy under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) to 74,796 recipients from across the province.
This was confirmed by Marivic Hubac, executive assistant to the governor, following the pronouncement of Governor Claude Bautista last week that the beneficiaries of the province will be the first to receive the SAP benefit among other provinces in the region.
Bautista disclosed that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-XI) in the region has already downloaded the funds to the five municipalities in the province, namely Malita, Sta. Maria, Don Marcelino, Jose Abad Santos and Sarangani.
He said DSWD-XI finalized the lists of beneficiaries which were validated at the barangay level.
Of the total recipients, 35,850 are 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) beneficiaries, while 38,946 are non-4Ps, according to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Davao Occidental Field Office.
DILG Davao Occidental Provincial Director Debie Torres assured the fast facilitation of distribution of the assistance, and said that this will not be used in the political agenda of the barangay officials.
Torres disclosed that the Provincial COVID-19 Task Force has established a mechanism involving the community participation from members of the non-government organizations and private citizens in the province who were part of the validation of qualified beneficiaries.
She said the community participants will also be part in the releasing of the assistance in the identified focal points in each municipality.
“The governor has made sure by directing all mayors and barangay captains that the locals, those having their livelihood in the province and those most in need are prioritized,” Torres stated during last week’s Virtual Presser of the Philippine Information Agency Region XI.
Due to lack and absence of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in most of the municipalities here, the DILG official mentioned that focal points in each municipality have been identified for the releasing of the cash assistance.
She said that job order personnel have been designated to assist the mayors to ensure that all SAP beneficiaries will receive the assistance and that pertinent documents will be properly signed.
Although it has zero incident of COVID-19 as of now, Davao Occidental was the first to enforce an Enhance Community Quarantine before the Davao Region COVID-19 Task Force could impose the same regionwide for the period April 4-19, 2020.
Davao Occidental, mostly consisting of mountains, is the 81st and newest province of the country, and the last frontier of Davao Region in the southeastern section of Mindanao. (PIA-XI/Carina L. Cayon)