Elected village officials want to be included in SAP, too

By Jennifer P. Rendon 

The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Region 6 (DSWD-6) confirmed that elected barangay officials want to be included in the government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP) for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.

Under the agency’s Memorandum Circular 09, elected and appointed officials are excluded from receiving the emergency subsidy program.

In Western Visayas, eligible beneficiaries are entitled to P6,000 financial assistance for the months of April and May.

DSWD Assistant Secretary for Specialized Programs Rhea Peñaflor said they could forward the concerns of village officials to their central office.

But for now, “our hands are tied on the guidelines,” Peñaflor said.

But if there are amendments to the guidelines, they are bound to follow it, she added.

DSWD regional director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre also confirmed receiving a letter from a Sangguniang Kabataan official asking that they also be considered for the SAP allowance.

Macapobre said she will forward the letter to DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista.

On Tuesday, Iloilo Vice Governor Christine Garin has also pushed for the inclusion of elected and appointed village officials in the SAP grant.

In a privilege speech, Garin asked Congress and the DSWD to do everything possible to include officials – from barangay captains, kagawad, secretaries, and treasurers – for the SAP grant.

She claimed that these elected officials are also frontliners in the fight against COVID-19 but they are not eligible for the government’s financial aid.

In Iloilo province, a barangay captain gets an average of P5,000 honorarium while a kagawad (council member), secretary, and treasurer receive lower amounts.