Regional Director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre of the Department of Social Welfare and Development 6 said that as of noontime of May 6, only 48 of the 133 LGUs in Western Visayas have completed the SAP distribution.
There are still 85 local government units in Western Visayas that have ongoing payout of subsidy assistance under the Special Amelioration Program of the government.
She added that based on their record, there is still an ongoing payout of subsidy assistance in 39 LGUs in Iloilo, 24 LGUs in Negros Occidental, 14 LGUs in Aklan, five LGUs in Capiz, and three LGUs in Antique.
She hopes that the various LGUs will finish the SAP distribution to their beneficiaries this week.
During the virtual presser, Macapobre revealed that as of May 6, DSWD 6 was able to pay a total of P4,387,998,000 as subsidy assistance to 731,333 family-beneficiaries in the region here.
Likewise, based on record of the agency as of May 5, it has distributed 32,040 family food packs to different LGUs in Western Visayas, amount of which totalled P11,558,170.
Macapobre also said that under the DSWD’s Aid to Individual in Crisis Situation (AICS) program as of May 5, they were able to disburse P24,393,880 that served 8,412 poor individuals who need medical or burial cash assistance.
Meanwhile, she encouraged the LGUs that have not yet finished the distribution of government subsidy assistance to do it through door-to-door strategy especially for the vulnerable groups such as the elderly, persons with disability and pregnant women.
“For LGUs that cannot make the door-to-door distribution, they must have a safe distribution point and we encourage to have their beneficiaries in small group or small batches to be scheduled to avoid the people to flock at a time,” she said, adding that the LGU must also have a wash area with soap and water, or make available alcohol or sanitizer.
Macapobre reiterated her reminder to both the beneficiaries and implementers to be responsible during the payout by strictly observing the safety protocols to include the wearing of face mask and practicing social distancing of at least one meter from one another.
She also encouraged the LGUs to have a standby ambulance in the distribution point “so that there will be a medical team who will immediately respond in case of emergency.”
She said they will keep on reiterating the safety protocols as it is not good to be complacent since there are still COVID-19 cases in the region.
“We should not lower our guard. Safety should remain a top priority,” Macapobre stressed. (JBG/PIA6)
