Davao del Norte: Some 500 validators are being tapped by the City Government of Tagum to avoid errors in identifying the poorest of the poor who badly need the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) financial assistance of the national government .
In an interview during Kapihan Online Facebook Live, City of Tagum Mayor Allan L. Rellon pointed out the need to conduct field validation to check the real economic conditions of those in the initial list.
“So importante jud ang validation. In fact sa table validation daghan nang na disqualify (Field validation is indeed important. Many have been disqualified during table validation),” he said.
Last Friday morning (April 17), the City Government of Tagum hosted a send-off ceremony of about 500 teachers of Tagum City DepEd Schools Division and City Government employees who had volunteered to conduct the field validation for three days until today, Sunday.
The field validators were of the same teams assigned to specific clustered barangays where they conducted relief distribution. They already had previous engagements with barangay and purok leaders.
The Initial list generated by the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) generated more than 70,000 poor families based on data supplied by 460 purok leaders in 23 barangays of the City of Tagum.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has allocated the City of Tagum only 36,965 slots for families to benefit the SAP fund, which according to Rellon is far-cry from the 70,000 as initially listed.
Expecting heated complaints from a number who would not be able to receive the SAP fund, Rellon on Wednesday, April 15, released an early appeal to concerned Tagumenyos for understanding and consideration.
“Mangayu lang jud ko ug pagsabot ninyu, gusto man unta nato mahatagan tanan. (I am asking for your understanding, we would have wanted to give each one.),” he said without telling exactly the SAP fund distribution schedule which he based on completion of data validation.
In his videotaped message regarding SAP distribution published online by the City Information Office, Rellon made the public aware that only 36,965 extremely in need Tagumenyo families would benefit from SAP.
He informed them ahead of time that qualified SAP beneficiaries are due to receive P12,000 good for two months of April and of May based on the guidelines of DSWD.
He is asking consideration and due indulgence from those listed beyond the 36,965 with whom he assured to prioritize during the second and third round of food relief assistance of the City Government rolled out next week in tandem with the Provincial Government of Davao del Norte.
“Katong dili maka receive, maningkamot jud ko nga madungagdungagan pinaagi sa food relief assistance. So cguro katong maka receive ug cash di na namo hatagan sa food relief para among e-gahin didto sa mga wala naka receive ug cash. (Those who would be able to receive, I will try my best to add-on through food relief assistance. So those who would be receiving cash, we would no longer be giving them food relief; we would set aside for those who would have no cash.),” he told PIA XI.
Based on info in Tagum City Government FB page, those prioritized to receive SAP fund are families of very low income, senior citizens but not pensioners, solo parents, small-scale farmers and fisherfolks, ambulant vendors, persons with disabilities, pregnant mothers, stranded overseas Flipino workers, poor indigenous peoples, workers of ‘no work no pay’ status.
Considered not qualified to receive SAP are all government workers and government officials, employees receiving P365 daily salary, business owners, pensioners, and all beneficiaries of conditional cash transfer programs of the government such as the Social Pension for Elderly and the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). (Jeanevive Duron Abangan, PIA XI Davao del Norte)