DILG tells LGUs to use Bayanihan Grant for ‘left-out’ families
DAVAO CITY, April 19 (PIA) – While there may be qualified families who were not included in the list of Social Amelioration Program (SAP) beneficiaries, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) urged local government units to use available funds such as the Bayanihan Grant to buy food packs for these “left-out” families.
In the Regional Presser initiated by the DILG as participated by the Philippine Information Agency XI and other Davao media, DILG spokesperson and Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya admitted that the list of the barangay may have more beneficiaries than the target list provided for by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
“Ang abiso sa amin ni Secretary Eduardo Ano kung may na left-out , kailangan pa rin nating ilista ang mga ito ng barangay at hahanapan ng pondo. Baka pwedeng maisali sa 2nd tranche (Secretary Eduardo informed us that for those families left out from the list, they still need to be enlisted by the barangay and the government will find other fund source for them. They might be included in the second tranche.),” said Malaya.
While waiting for the DSWD and the barangay to come up with the list, the DILG urged LGUs to use available funds so these families can immediately be given food packs.
“ Marami ng pondo na hawak-hawak ngayon ng mga LGU na naibigay na ng national government. Isa na riyan ang extra Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) o mas kilala sa tawag na Bayanihan Grant na ibinigay sa lahat ng LGUs na katumbas sa isang buwang IRA nito ( Many funds have already been downloaded to the LGUs by the national government. One of which is the Bayanihan Grant which is equivalent to a one month IRA of the LGU.),” said Malaya.
The DILG spokesperson elaborated that said grant may be used by the LGU to purchase food packs for the left out families and other vulnerable sectors.
The LGU may also utilize the 20 percent development funds as issued upon thru a joint memorandum circular of the DILG and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
These funds, according to Malaya, can be used by the LGU to be able to give food packs to the families who were not able to receive subsidy from the government thru the SAP.
However, LGUs are not allowed to use these funds to give out cash subsidy to the vulnerable sector as this is explicitly cited in the guidelines. But LGUs, should they really want to give cash assistance, could use their local funds subject to the need for re-alignment inorder to prioritize affected families of the coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, the DSWD XI confirmed in the same regional presser that the agency requested the LGUs the list of left-out families so they could re-validate.
DSWD XI regional director Grace Subong said that majority of the LGUs have already received the SAP budget. Few municipalities in Davao Occidental, Davao de Oro, and Davao Oriental have already started their pay-out. While some barangays in Davao City are still in the process of validation and the barangays are yet to submit their final list of beneficiaries.
The LGUs, as stated in the SAP memorandum of agreement, are given up to 10 days since the receipt of the SAP funds to complete the distribution of cash subsidy to the qualified beneciaries.
“ We expect that by April 23, they will be able to complete their pay-out by then,” Subong said. (PIA XI/Frances Mae Macapagat)
source https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1039432