ANGELES CITY – The controversial distribution of the national government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP) to the poorest of the poor by the Department of Social Welfare and Development coursed through barangay officials finally got the attention of the city council.
City councilor Jesus “Jay” Sangil is spearheading a move in the city council for an official inquiry, in aid of legislation, concerning the proper distribution of SAP funds from the national government to its intended beneficiaries in the 33 barangays of this highly urbanized city.
In last Tuesday’s regular session, Sangil was joined by his colleagues – councilors Arvin “Pogs” Suller and Alfie Bonifacio – in the inquiry.
This developed as a congressional inquiry into the SAP distribution was also launched on Monday at the House of Representatives.
It was reported that Speaker of the House Allan Peter Cayetano expressed serious concern over the system of identifying beneficiaries and distribution that the DSWD followed in implementing the SAP.
Local legislators are also looking particularly into the proper distribution on why so many of their poor constituents that were properly qualified as indigents have yet to receive any form of amelioration.
During the inquiry at the city council, it was learned that barangays Agapito Del Rosario and Amsic were already cleared.
But many poor residents of Barangay Balibago have yet to receive any form of financial assistance from the national government.
Sangil said out of the 9,000 or so poor families in Balibago, only about 8,000 were given financial assistance from the SAP.
Sangil said in order to complete the distribution, some other form of assistance “in kind” was instead given to them.
He also said they will look into other barangays on how they did the distribution as the days come.
It can be recalled that the Department of Interior and Local Government directed barangay officials to post the list of SAP beneficiaries in conspicuous places in their communities to lend transparency in the distribution.
But despite the DILG directive, problems continue to arise in the distribution of intended beneficiaries prompting local legislators to conduct their own legislative inquiry since, according to local officials they know the ground well and their constituents better that anybody.
According to DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año, 397 barangay and local government officials are now facing criminal charges with 266 more under investigation.
