Soliman: DAP funds went to services, projects for people

By Carlito Dar

TUBA, Benguet -- Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman said the  Disbursement Acceleration  Program (DAP) funds under President Aquino  went to the right and needed services of the people.

In a dialogue with Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries and media practitioners here last week, Soliman said under the DSWD,   P1.9 billion DAP funds went to its  Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao regional office, and used for construction of   around 900 day care centers, core shelters and classrooms to replace those damaged during the civil unrest in the region, as well as livelihood assistance to the families.

About P200 million remains from the fund, she said, adding they can account for all projects and beneficiaries.

Soliman said P500 million DAP funds was  also allocated for the Students Grants in Aid Program.

In partnership with the Commission on Higher Education, the program was started 2012  and had been supporting college education of 4,000 children of Pantawid beneficiaries.

In partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, P1.3 billion went to the Training for Work Scholarship program in which more than 65,000 students were given technical – vocational training to help them get better employment opportunities.

Another DSWD program that got DAP funding was Community-Driven Development Program which had a $400 million grant from the US Millennium Challenge Fund.

“These are infrastructure development projects that the community themselves proposed and wherein the funds went directly to the community account for implementation. The P95 million funding from DAP served as the government’s counterpart to pay for taxes and the personnel who are handling the processing of the community development projects,” Soliman said.

She expressed hope that the Supreme Court will reconsider its decision declaring the allocation of government saving into the president’s DAP as unconstitutional,  for the continued delivery  of services to the people.