Over 12M families receive P74.2-B from SAP 2

The Department of Social and Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported Thursday that over 12 million families received their second tranche of cash under the national government’s social amelioration program or SAP 2.

DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista said in a virtual press briefing that the agency distributed P74.2 billion worth of cash aid to 12,287,655 beneficiaries nationwide as of August 12.

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More than 1.3 million Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries, 3 million waitlisted and low-income and non-4Ps families, 5.5 million low-income and non-4Ps families, and over 1.3 million waitlisted families from areas under enhanced community quarantine received the SAP 2 financial aid.

DSWS also distributed about P857.3 million to a total of 115,680 transport network vehicle services and public utility vehicle drivers in the country. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board gave the agency the list of beneficiaries, Bautista added.

Drivers who were not listed were referred to DSWD Field Offices and were put under waitlisted beneficiaries.

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Members of the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide () earlier said they had not received single cash aid from the government for five months of lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over 12M families receive P74.2-B from SAP 2

“Tuloy-tuloy lamang po ang pamamahagi ng DSWD ng ayuda sa lahat ng mga kwalipikadong benepisyaryo ng ikalawang bugso ng SAP. Sinisikap ng ahensya na maabot ang target natin na matapos ang lahat ng payout sa kalagitnaan ng ikalawang linggo ng Agosto,” he said.

“Pinapaalalahanan namin ang mga benepisyaryo na pumunta lamang sa payout center sa tinakdang schedule upang maiwasan ang umpukan sa isang lugar,” he said.

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The Department of the Interior and Local Government earlier ordered police stations Wednesday to deploy cops at Social Amelioration Program () remittance centers for its second tranche of cash aid distribution.

 spokesman Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said Secretary Eduardo Año directed Joint Task Force COVID Shield chief Police Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar to immediately send police force to ensure health protocols such as physical distancing and use of face masks are imposed in remittance centers.

Malaya also said DILG directed quarantine rules supervisors to deploy all barangay watchmen at SAP remittance centers to ensure the imposition of minimum health standards to stop the spread of COVID-19.