DSWD Regional Director Restituto Macuto said on Thursday the simultaneous pay-out in the region will start on July 20 and will end on July 31. However, it may be extended considering the huge number of recipients entitled to receive the cash assistance.
The official has no
data on the total number of social pensioners during the interview.
The distribution of
money under the Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) to social pension beneficiaries
is a government intervention to minimize the impact of the Tax Reform for
Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law that raised fuel prices and basic
commodities.
Each social pensioner
will receive an additional PHP200 cash grant monthly.
The request of local
chief executives to bring the pay-out to towns is impossible since there are
only 16 branches of Land Bank of the Philippines in Eastern Visayas serving
seven cities and 136 towns in six provinces.
“There are some
factors that we have to consider as reason why we will not be able to meet our
July deadline and may extend it to August because we have to consider that
banks are unable to do the pay-out from Monday to Friday because it will affect
other banking transactions of regular clients,” Macuto said.
Starting Friday, the
DSWD and the 15 branches of Land Bank will release the grant in 39 localities.
In Tacloban City
alone, a total of 4,902 social pensioners are recipients of the cash grant from
the DSWD, which will be released at the city’s Balyuan Park in two batches.
“We consider the
physical conditions of social pensioners and may not be able to withstand
severe heat and long queues, reason why we have to do it in shaded areas at
Balyuan Park,” Macuto added.
Aside from poor
social pensioners, beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program are
also entitled to the PHP200 additional monthly benefit. (RTA/PNA)
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