EDITORIAL - Don’t waste the aid

The Department of the Interior and Local Government warned local executives this week that they had only until April 30 to complete distribution of the first tranche of the pandemic cash aid to their constituents, or else…

Well, or else the deadline would be moved. A week has been added to the deadline, after several mayors including those in densely populated Metro Manila explained that there was no way they could complete the task by April 30.

Some mayors had similar explanations for their predicament, which boiled down to one point: they were allotted a certain number of aid slots by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the basis of which was unclear, and were left with the task of identifying the beneficiaries.

The process of validating qualified beneficiaries of the social amelioration program has become a major headache for the mayors, many of whom face complaints from their constituents who have been left out of the SAP distribution. There are complaints about barangay captains playing favorites, with their relatives and friends being given priority and undue advantage over those with truly urgent needs. There are reports of cash assistance being given even to millionaires living in exclusive gated subdivisions, and of SAP funds being released even to dead people.

To promote transparency and prevent abuse and misuse of scarce public funds, several local executives are preparing to post the list of SAP beneficiaries in strategic spots for public scrutiny and, when possible, online. Amid an audit conducted by some Metro Manila local government units, some SAP recipients have reportedly started returning the aid.

The enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and many other parts of Luzon is approaching its seventh week. The need for assistance has grown exponentially for many households whose breadwinners have lost their jobs or means of livelihood as a result of the ECQ. The government is also hard-pressed for social amelioration funds as its revenue base shrinks dramatically. Every effort must be made to ensure that the aid is not wasted on those who don’t deserve it.