Loay is a coastal town that lies along the mouth of the Loboc River in Bohol. Classified as fifth class, it is considered among those poor municipalities in the country. But even with its economic situation, the municipality was quick enough in releasing the emergency subsidies intended to poor families affected by the nationwide community quarantine.

Last March, the nation was placed under community quarantine to stop the further spread of the dreadful CoronaVirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). As many were affected, the national government put in place measures to address the food and non-food basic needs of the people.

Among these measures is the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) under the Bayanihan Act to Heal as One, implemented by different government agencies including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

SAP is the provision of emergency subsidy amounting to P5,000 to 8,000, based on the regional minimum wage rate, to low income families assessed to be most affected by the nationwide community quarantine. It aims to mitigate the effects of economic shocks brought about by the disruption of livelihood of poor families.

Loay Mayor Hilario Ayuban shared that upon the directive of the provincial government, he immediately convened a team to facilitate the immediate release of the subsidies. Based on the memorandum circular of DSWD, the municipal government identified beneficiaries and conducted validation thrice. This would ensure the SAP emergency subsidy is given to the right recipients.

“I am thankful for the assistance given by the national government to my constituents. That’s why instead of dwelling on the negative side, we look at it in a more positive way. We can set aside some amount for our constituents who were not covered by the SAP,” Mayor Ayuban said.

The municipality has alloted around P3 million for those families and individuals affected by COVID 19 but were not included in the list. On the other hand, P2 million was also being allocated for other families and individuals who may not be poor but were equally affected.

Aside from Loay, the municipality of Casiguran, located along the coast of Sorsogon, was also recognized by the DSWD in the Bicol Region for being the first local government unit (LGU) that almost completed the distribution of the SAP emergency subsidy with 99.49% accomplishment. (to have almost completed the distribution of SAP in so short a time with 99.49% accomplishment.)

Casiguran Mayor Jose Edwin said that having an established and updated database of their people greatly helped in the identification of SAP recipients.

Likewise, all department heads and employees of the municipal government were mobilized to help in the distribution of the emergency subsidies.

According to DSWD Secretary Rolando Joselito Bautista, LGUs play a vital role in the implementation of SAP. While DSWD recognizes the limitations and challenges that LGUs face in implementing programs and services in their own jurisdictions, the Department also acknowledges their initiatives and innovations in delivering basic services including SAP, which is the largest subsidy program of the government.

As of May 26, a total of 1,482 LGUs have already completed the distribution of SAP in their own localities. More than P99 billion has been distributed to 17.53 million low-income families nationwide.

DSWD will continue to closely monitor the release of emergency subsidies and to augment the resources of LGUs as they continue to respond to the needs of their constituents during this health crisis. ###