By Jennifer P. Rendon and Felipe V. Celino
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Region 6 denied reports that a person with disability (PWD) was humiliated during a payout of the government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP) for households affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
In a statement, the DSWD-6 said “it will always be for the protection and access to services of persons with disability.”
“They belong to vulnerable groups and we will always tilt in their favor to ensure that they are heard and not discriminated.”
Over the weekend, a PWD reportedly claimed he received the P6,000 cash grant for SAP. Someone from the DSWD even took a picture of him with the cash on hand.
But after the picture-taking, the money was allegedly taken from his hands.
The incident happened on the afternoon of April 24, 2020 at Barangay Pawa, Panay, Capiz.
Jovanie Candelario, 40, said he is a resident of Pawa village but worked as a houseboy in Roxas City.
He narrated that he spent three days to process his grant since he was qualified for the emergency subsidy. He arrived at their village around 1 p.m. Friday for the SAP payout.
But Candelario claimed he received his P6,000 three hours later. His happiness turned into dismay after a DSWD personnel allegedly took the money from him.
The DSWD personnel allegedly claimed he was not qualified since he was single and his father was also a SAP beneficiary.
But Candelario claimed that he was allowed to fill up the Social Amelioration Card (SAC) given by barangay officials.
ERRONEOUS REPORT
But the DSWD-6 said that “based on the report of our team in Capiz, the PWD was not humiliated. The news of him taken with photos holding money and made to sign the payroll is erroneous.”
A certain Sybil delos Reyes Bellanes also clarified the report of a local radio station in Capiz.
Bellanes, who worked for the local government of Panay, presented the SAP payroll which showed that Candelario did not receive any money under the SAP.
“Gani wala sang natabo nga pag bawi sang kwarta sa iya. Wala man natabo nga pag picture sa iya,” she said.
Bellanes claimed there was nothing to be taken back from Candelario as he received nothing in the first place.
She labeled the report as disinformation meant to discredit the SAP implementation in Panay, Capiz.
Meanwhile, the DSWD-6 said they already instructed the Panay local social welfare and development office to ensure that Candelario is protected.
“To put the record straight, the PWD is not eligible for SAP as an individual. But his family, represented by his father as the head of the family, is eligible. The family received P6,000 during the payouts,” the DSWD-6 statement added.
SAP is for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps)-covered households, low-income families with a member coming from the informal economy workers, and low-income families with a member from vulnerable groups.
“However, we have already instructed our protective services division to ensure assessment to be conducted on the PWD for appropriate intervention, including psycho-social support,” DSWD-6 added.
It also urged the public to be mindful of the information they post on online platforms.
“We cannot capitalize on one’s vulnerability and sensationalize it to win public sympathy. Definitely, not at the expense of our vulnerable sectors, such as PWDs. In the same vein, we call on our barangay officials to ensure the correct listing of beneficiary families for SAP.”
DSWD-6 also asked everyone involved in the process – from the heads of the family who fill out the SAC to the barangay officials who certify the beneficiaries – to be honest.
“We know that our local social welfare and development officers are having a hard time facing hatred comments,” the agency added.
While the agency wants everyone to be included in the SAP, DSWD-6 said it is constrained by the guidelines.
