11 Cordillera towns to return excess SAP fund

By Liza Agoot  

BAGUIO CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said on Friday 11 local government units in the Cordillera Administrative Region  considered Geographically Isolated and Depressed Areas (GIDA) have intended to return the excess funds from the Social Amelioration Program (SAP).

During a virtual presser, DSWD-CAR regional director Leo Quintilla said the towns of Bucloc, Daguioman, Lacub, Licuan Baay, Luba, Tubo all in Abra province; Mayaoyao in Ifugao; Tanudan and Tinglayan in Kalinga, Besao and Barlig in Mountain Province.

Sadanga town in Mountain Province earlier returned P1,474,000 in excess SAP fund as there are no more qualified beneficiaries in the area, he said.

Quintilla said the strong cultural traditions of the Cordillera people in CAR in helping others in time of calamities could be a reason for the decision to return the SAP funds.

DSWD-CAR downloaded funds for 1,400 target family beneficiaries. The actual payout was for 1,132 SAP cash assistance beneficiaries.

Sadanga, a fifth-class municipality, has a population of 8,799. The town also waived the relief food packs for those in the urban areas who are more in need of the aid.

Mayor Gabino Ganggangan said their culture of “gawat-abush” or helping one's neighbor will help them through and will not die of hunger without food assistance from the government.

He said his constituents have been practicing the traditions handed down by their forefathers.

Meanwhile, Quintilla said the region has recorded 93.4-percent completion of the distribution of the Pantawid and non-Pantawid assistance.

He said PHP1.4 billion have been disbursed, benefiting 278,806 families in the six provinces and two cities of the region.

He said 67 out of the 75 municipalities and two cities in the region have recorded a 100 percent SAP distribution accomplishment.

Quintilla said they hope to finish the distribution by May 10.

“We have to finish considering that we must account everything so that we can get the second tranche of the amount, he said. (PNA)