Malacañang on Monday agreed with criticisms against the pace of Social Amelioration Program (SAP) and admitted that it found the distribution of the second tranche of COVID-19 cash aid to be slow.
“Mabagal po talaga. Masasabi ko po na nabagalan din ang Palasyo sa proseso ng pangalawang tranche,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace press briefing.
[It’s really slow. I can say that the Palace also found the distribution of the second round of cash aid to be slow.]
“Maraming dahilan po ang sinasabi ng DSWD. Pero tinatanggap po namin ang deklarasyon ng DSWD na ‘di matatapos ang July na hindi mabibigay ang kabuuan ng ayuda maliban doon sa mga walang access sa internet,” he said.
[The DSWD cited many reasons. But we accept their declaration that they would not let the month of July end without finishing the distribution of cash aid except for those without internet access.]
Aside from 5 million additional families, poor families in Benguet, Metro Manila, Southern Tagalog Region, Central Luzon (except Aurora province), Pangasinan, Albay Province, Zamboanga City, Iloilo, Cebu Province, Bacolod City, and Davao City are entitled to the second tranche of cash aid, the DSWD earlier said.
Roque assured the public that the Palace will make sure DSWD is accountable in following its promised deadline for the SAP distribution.
“Ang sabi po ng DSWD, hanggang katapusan lang po ng Hulyo and the Palace will hold DSWD to that,” Roque revealed.
[The Palace will hold DSWD to their promise to finish the cash aid distribution until the end of July.]
