Pensioner Judy Beronibla from Poblacion, Ilaya in Panay, Capiz cannot contain her joy when she finally received the P6,000 cash assistance under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Judy, 62, was among the more than 1,000 additional family beneficiaries in Panay town who received their SAP last July 3.
Judy receives a monthly pension from the Social Security System (SSS) but said it is only enough for her medicine and her mother’s needs.
She is among the pensioners included in the five million additional families eligible to receive the SAP aid from the national government.
This after SSS pensioners receiving less than the regional subsidy or P6,000 for Western Visayas have been allowed to be included on the additional SAP beneficiaries in compliance with the Memorandum Circular No. 14 Guidelines of the agency.
“This is a big help for me and to my 84-year-old mother. We will use this to buy medicine, food, and other necessities (Dako gid ini nga bulig sa akon kag sa akon 84-anyos nga iloy. Gamiton ko ini pambakal bulong, pagkaon kag iban pa na kinanglanon),” she said.
Another SSS pensioner from the town that became eligible for SAP is 63-year-old Ma. Nena Alayon.
Just like Judy, she said the P6,000 SAP assistance she received will also be used to buy her medicine.
“I am very happy. I can now buy my medicine and for my other needs (Nalipay gid ako. May ibakal na ako sang akon bulong kag iban pa nga gamit)+++++,” she said after receiving the SAP aid last Friday.
Seventy-year-old Nelson Buriel, also an SSS pensioner said he would also use his SAP money to help his family.
He was also among the 39 additional beneficiaries in Dumalag, Capiz who received the SAP last Friday.
The farmer from Brgy. Consolacion in Dumalag said he is thankful for DSWD for allowing pensioners like him to be eligible for SAP.
Last July 3, DSWD FO VI conducted the simultaneous payout activities in 21 pilot LGUs in the region for the initial batch of additional beneficiaries here.
A total of 17,937 additional SAP beneficiaries received their P6,000 SAP grant from the agency.#dswdfo6
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Department of Social Welfare and Development