The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Bicol has completed its distribution of the second tranche of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries in Albay province.

Marygizelle Mesa, DSWD-Bicol spokesperson, in an interview on Thursday, said some 76,600 household beneficiaries or 100 percent of the 4Ps target beneficiaries were already served.

“For Albay 4Ps beneficiaries, around 72,333 households were already served with PHP246-million cash aid and for the non-cash cardholders of Pantawid, the distribution thru onsite payment by the Pantawid staff (was) already (made) to 4,267 target beneficiaries with PHP15-million cash aid,” she said.

Mesa said they want to maintain their outstanding record of fast and efficient delivery of the cash aid to Bicolanos and also complete the distribution of the SAP second tranche to the non-4Ps and waitlisted by the end of August.

After the de-duplication process, she said that a total of 120,122 non-4Ps beneficiaries in Albay represented the first batch of those in the clean list, As of August 10, a total of 118,918 have been served by the financial service providers — Rural Bank of Guinobatan and Legazpi Savings Bank — through a PHP594-million cash aid.

“The list underwent regional and inter-regional deduplication to come up with a clean list to ensure that there is no duplication of SAP received per eligible family,” Mesa said.

Among the six provinces in Bicol, only Albay qualified for the second tranche of SAP since it is the only one included in the list of areas placed under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

For the waitlisted, 32,815 beneficiaries were paid regionwide through direct payout for a total of PHP164 million.

Mesa also said the agency operation center’s (AOC) grievances team is continuously addressing the issues and concerns regarding the SAP aid raised in the five different platforms – text hotline, social media, email, call, and walk-in.

“Appeals for reinclusion are still being accommodated thru SAP grievance hotlines, DSWD grievance desks during onsite payouts and barangay officials. As to the appeals made at the barangay level, the barangay captain will issue certifications to support the justifications, and to request the needed certifications to the concerned agencies such as SSS (Social Security System), to support the claim of the delisted beneficiary and request for re-enlistment,” she added. (PNA)