DSWD-7 disburses over P22.4B in various aids benefitting over 4.553M families in C.Visayas in 2020

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-7)-Field Office VII has disbursed more than 22.430-Billion under its various programs and financial assistance that benefitted more than 4,553,956 families, individuals and senior citizens in Central Visayas in 2020.

DSWD-7 regional director Rebecca Geamala said that despite the pandemic in 2020, the DSWD here has stood true to its mandate, serving with love, and commitment and continued to implement its various social protection programs and services to the less fortunate people in the region.

According to DSWD-7 regional information officer Leah Quintana that some of the priority programs the agency implemented include the Emergency Cash Subsidy under the Social Amelioration program (SAP); Pantawid Pamilya (4Ps) cash and livelihood grants; Kapit-Bisig CIDSS projects; Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens and various relief goods and family food packs during calamities and disasters.

Quintana went on that for the Emergency Cash Subsidy under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) has disbursed to local government units (LGUs) in the region some P12.3B; P7.7 Billion for its 1^st tranche the benefitted 3,000,000 families and P4.6-Billion for its 2^nd tranche for 644,138 families.

These funds were provided for under Republic Act 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Law which targeted low-income families or workers in the informal economy assessed to be the most affected by the declaration of the community quarantine, Quintana added.

The Department also implemented the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or the Bayanihan 2 in the last quarter of 2020 as the agency’s response and recovery intervention to the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued the conduct of payouts this 2021, Quintana also said.

Quintana bared that under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the DSWD-7 has given P5.6-Billion cash grants to 277,378 active households and P236-Million funds for its livelihood support fund grants through the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) to 29,077 families and individuals.

Meanwhile, under the Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS), Quintana bared that the program has funded 731 completed sub-projects in 633 barangays in the region with a budget of more than Php 1.5-Billion.

“Some of these sub-projects are isolation centers, telecommunication equipment, and cash for work scheme,” Quintana added.

Quintana also bared that through its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) the DSWD-7 had served 325,651 clients in the region for educational, medical, transportation, burial, and food and non-food assistance amounting to Php 984 million in 2020.

To help augment the daily subsistence and medical needs of indigent senior citizens, the Department had distributed the cash stipend under the Social Pension Program for Indigent Senior Citizens that benefited 277,712 indigent senior citizens in the region with a total disbursed funds of 1.6-Billion, Quintana added.

The Department also monitored disasters, prepositioned family food packs (FFPs) in the provinces to ensure ample resources for disaster-affected families; mobilized quick response teams (QRTs) and provided augmentation support to the local government units (LGUs) in Central Visayas.

It has distributed family food packs and non-food items with a total cost of assistance of more than Php 210 million last year.

Aside from SAP, promotive programs, AICS, social pension and disaster response, the agency also continued to implement various interventions through the implementation of supplementary feeding program, alternative family care program, residential and non-residential care program among others, Quintana said.

According to Geamala this 2021, the Department marks its 70th anniversary and will continue to live up to its main brand of service which is prompt and compassionate service.

“The year 2020 has brought us to learn more in serving. I believe that DSWD is a second to none agency in helping the poor, socially and economically. I pray that this 2021, DSWD-7 staff will feel the sacred responsibility of loving and caring for our less fortunate brethren,” Geamala stated.

Geamala concluded that DSWD continues to become a haven of rest for those who are bombarded with issues in life, and for people to feel that there is a government agency that they can run to and trust. (Photos: DSWD-7/Kerwin Macopia)