DILG ordered the release of cash aid beneficiaries
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) directed barangay captains to release the masterlist of cash aid beneficiaries.
Through the Social Amelioration Program (SAP), poor Filipinos were able to receive cash assistance from the government amid the enhanced community quarantine due to COVID-19.
However, this has become controversial when alleged corruptions were reported. Reportedly, there were staff members of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) or barangay officials who just select the beneficiaries and not fairly giving the aid to the deserving people.
In line with this, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said that barangay officials should observe transparency when it comes to the records of the beneficiaries. He said that there should be “honesty, transparency, and orderly management” of the cash assistance from the DSWD.
Año added that the names of the beneficiaries can be posted on public places such as barangay halls, social centers, and gymnasiums, based on the report from Inquirer.
“We want the process of identifying the target beneficiaries under the SAP to be transparent. Hence, we have directed all our punong barangays to post the masterlist of beneficiaries in strategic areas in their barangays so that the residents will also be informed if they will receive the said financial assistance from the government,” the secretary stated.
He added that it is important to release the masterlist of beneficiaries in order for the public to know that cash assistance was really given to the “poorest families”.
“Our intention here is to make sure that the barangays have a correct and complete list of beneficiaries,” the DILG head said. If the list is incomplete, Año said that the local government unit can take the needed action and bring this up to DSWD.
His statement regarding the release of the beneficiaries’ masterlist came after reports that there has been a lack of transparency on the distribution of SAP, based on the report.
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