The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Eastern Visayas (DSWD-8) has already distributed a total of PHP274.535 million to waitlisted beneficiaries of the national government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP).

The amount has served a total of 54,907 families in the region – 27,075 in Leyte, 10,374 in Samar, 9,283 in Northern Samar, 3,805 in Eastern Samar, 3,177 in Southern Leyte, and 1,193 in Biliran.

“These are qualified poor families who did not receive the cash grant during the first tranche,” said DSWD-8 Director Marie Angela Gopalan in a statement on Tuesday.

The regional office here started the direct payout of the SAP assistance in the first week of July and implemented the digital payout through Starpay in the second week of August to fast-track its distribution.

In the region, 129 out of 143 local government units (LGUs) have submitted a list of waitlisted beneficiaries.

A total of 38,420 families were listed from Leyte, 16,393 in Samar, 14,652 in Northern Samar, 5,310 in Eastern Samar, 4,663 in Southern Leyte, and 1,565 in Biliran.

Gopalan said 123 LGUs in the region are now doing the payout as of Monday.

Under Republic Act 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, financial subsidies for two months will be granted to indigent families affected by the movement restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

However, Eastern Visayas is no longer included in the second tranche of the emergency cash subsidy due to downgraded community quarantine status.

Gopalan said they released a total of PHP2.75 billion during the first tranche of SAP, serving 550,480 families from the region’s 143 towns and cities.

Meanwhile, the region has confirmed a total of 3,442 Covid-19 cases since March, including 2,423 recoveries and 25 deaths, based on the Department of Health monitoring report. (PNA)