The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) only needs to distribute cash assistance to some 200,000 family beneficiaries to complete their target under the second tranche of the social amelioration program (SAP).

On Tuesday, the agency said it has delivered aid to some 13,906,075 families of the 14.1 million families identified as “poorest of the poor” or those considered as the hardest-hit sector of the pandemic.

The figure amounts to PHP83.1 billion worth of aid.

DSWD Undersecretary Rene Glen Paje, in a virtual conference, announced that while the agency will receive 4.45 percent more for their 2021 budget, which is PHP169.29 billion compared to this year’s PHP162.09 billion, they no longer included SAP provision for next year.

He said there is no SAP provision next year as the agency sees the country on the way to recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

In a Viber group with reporters, DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao said they will shift their focus to other social development programs of the agency such as the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) once the SAP distribution is complete.

Other programs of the agency include Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). (PNA)