Amid the controversy on the distribution and utilization of funds under the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said today that it received in 2011 additional allotment of P1.97 Billion from DAP for the implementation of various social services in the Autonomous Region in Muslin Mindanao (ARMM).
With the additional allotment, the DSWD provided resource augmentation to the local government of ARMM to implement the following programs and projects: Construction of Day Care Centers, Modified Shelter Assistance Project, Emergency Shelter Assistance, Supplementary Feeding, Sustainable Livelihood, and Cash-for-work.
Of the P1.97 billion, P1.639,382,131.76 was released to both AFP Engineer Brigade (AFP-EB) as implementing partner and DSWD ARMM from December 2011 to December 2012 for the implementation of the said projects. On the other hand, of the remaining balance of P331,762,868, some P309,350,000 were allotted for the Sustainable Livelihood Program. The amount of P22,412,868 was incurred as savings and was reverted back to the National Treasury.
To date, of the total P1.63 billion program funds released, more than P1.062 billion has already been liquidated by the DSWD ARMM and AFP-EB.
Progress of program implementation
The DSWD reported that, to date, of the 1,100 day care centers targeted to be constructed, 784 centers are completed, 283 centers are still on-going construction, and 33 are yet to be constructed.
On shelter construction, of the 1,000 target units, 770 shelters are already built while 230 units are on-going construction.
The DSWD said that peace and order situation in the project areas hampers the completion of the remaining day care centers and core shelter units. The DSWD ARMM hopes to complete the construction of day care centers and core shelter units by December 2013.
For the Supplementary Feeding Program, of the 200,000 target day care children, 170,000 children completed the 120 feeding days program while some 30,000 children from Basilan are yet to complete the 120 days feeding.
On the provision of Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA), 1,476 flood affected families in the Province of Maguindanao already availed of the assistance at P10,000 each. They are from the municipalities of Datu Piang, Mangudadatu, Kabuntalan, Raja Buayan, Paglat, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Datu Montawal, and Sultan sa Barongis.
Likewise, of the 62,335 Sets 1 and 2 beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in the region who are targeted to avail of P10,000 each under the Sustainable Livelihood Program, a total of 31,400 beneficiaries already received their livelihood assistance.
The Cash-for-Work, on the other hand, also benefitted 18,900 beneficiaries receiving P174 per day for ten days in exchange for rendering community work that include disaster mitigation, rehabilitation, and hunger mitigation projects.
Within DSWD mandate
Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky Soliman said that the DAP additional allotment were used for line item projects such as the provision of technical assistance and resource augmentation to ARMM, and these are within the mandate of the DSWD.
“Rest assured that the DAP additional allotment benefitted the rightful beneficiaries of DSWD programs and services,” Secretary Soliman concluded. ###
