Suspending DSWD cash grants over Covid-19

EDITORIAL

It is unfortunate the Dept. of Social Welfare and Development  temporarily suspended cash grants to beneficiaries of its poverty alleviation program saying this was being done to help prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

The agency suspended the payouts for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), social pension and unconditional cash transfer (UCT) for indigents as well as distribution of 4Ps cash cards and field surveys for the 2019 National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction or the Listahanan.

The Listahanan lays down the database of the country’s poorest families.

DSWD Secretary Rolando Joselito Bautista signed on March 14 Department Advisory No. 1, providing guidelines on the prevention, control and mitigation of COVID-19 in DSWD offices as well as in its attached and supervised agencies. 

The advisory set the steps to be taken by the agency to safeguard its workers from Covid-19, and in joining national efforts to contain and eradicate the disease.

The advisory also identified DSWD programs and services to be suspended from March 15 to April 14, as these require meetings or convergence of beneficiaries and other stakeholders. 

“This step will minimize the exposure of the beneficiaries and DSWD employees to the threats of COVID-19,” the agency said in a statement.

The DSWD gave the assurance that it would regularly assess the suspension to ensure its responsiveness to the evolving situation.

“This will determine if the suspension of the programs and activities will have to be continued or not,” the agency said.

But the DSWD said it would continue its assistance to individuals in crisis situation program for the needy.

Applicants may proceed to Social Welfare and Development (SWAD) offices in different provinces and DSWD field offices.

The SWAD and DSWD field offices will process 30 and 50 applications daily, respectively.

The DSWD central office will accept and process requests for assistance of 100 beneficiaries daily.

Whether the decision of the DSWD to suspend the cash grants was for the better of the populace or not, one thing is sure, it was the poor again who were hit by the decision.

DSWD officials may have to experience not eating even for a day to know how hard it is to go hungry – particularly children of poor families.