Cash aid distribution deadline extended anew

MANILA, Philippines — With the distribution of emergency cash assistance still incomplete after yesterday’s deadline, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is giving local authorities three more days or until May 10 to finish the payout of the social amelioration program (SAP).

In extending the deadline, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año admitted that some local government units (LGUs) were having a hard time distributing the cash assistance, especially in dense and urbanized cities like those in the National Capital Region and neighboring provinces.

“We have received reports from our field offices that even if distribution was done 24/7, it would still have been difficult to meet the May 7 deadline especially in Metro Manila. We are therefore giving them until May 10 to complete everything,” he said.

The League of Cities of the Philippines, the League of Municipalities of the Philippines and the Metro Manila Development Authority had requested for a three-day extension to complete the SAP distribution.

Año emphasized there would be no more extension after May 10. The payout rate as of yesterday was 77.68 percent.

Local chief executives who would fail to meet the new deadline would be issued show cause orders.

Only 985 LGUs nationwide were able to complete and liquidate their SAP distribution with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The CARAGA Region posted the highest payout rate at 99.98 percent, followed by Bicol Region at 99.51 percent.

NCR and Davao Region were the worst performers with payout rates of only 62.51 percent and 57.87 percent, respectively, as of yesterday.

The DILG chief said it is working closely with the DSWD to fine tune procedures for the distribution of the second tranche of SAP this month.

The department has ordered the Philippine National Police to exempt from curfew residents making their way to distribution points. Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said Congress will investigate the delay in the distribution of SAP. - Emmanuel Tupas, Rainier Allan Ronda, Edu Punay