Nearly 26,000 waitlisted or left out beneficiaries in the first tranche of the social amelioration program (SAP) in this town on Monday started to receive cash assistance amounting to PHP6,500 each.

Mayor Enrico Roque, together with personnel of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Region 3 (Central Luzon), led the distribution of the total PHP4.9 million cash subsidy to 762 initial beneficiaries from Barangays Malibong Bata and Real De Cacarong in this town.

Roque said last April 9, they already distributed, as a pilot municipality in the region, cash subsidy to 8,857 SAP beneficiaries and 3,816 members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

It was learned that this town is among the top three municipalities with the highest number of SAP beneficiaries in Central Luzon, with 38,423 households to receive a total of PHP499 million worth of SAP cash subsidy.

Roque also said close to 5,000 members of Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay), who turned pro-government, have also been included in the list of SAP financial assistance beneficiaries.

“Kahit sino ay makatatanggap kahit hindi taga-Pandi, hindi namin sinala at hindi rin kami nag-base sa Comelec registration. Basta dito sila inabutan ng lockdown at nakapagparehistro sa assessment form ng DSWD (Anyone can receive the assistance, even those non-residents of Pandi. We did not filter it and we did not rely on Comelec registration. As long as they got stuck here due to lockdown and they have registered in the assessment form of the DSWD, they will receive cash aid),” he said.

The mayor expressed his gratitude to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and DSWD Region 3 personnel for the cash subsidy.

He also thanked the members of the Pandi Mother Leaders group and Pinagkaisang Lakas ng Kababaihan (Pilak) who assisted the municipal government and DSWD personnel in distributing the SAP assistance. (PNA)