Benguet residents waive cash aid for those in dire need

Residents from the town of Bakun, Benguet voluntarily refused their slots as recipients of financial assistance from the government’s program.

Several senior citizens and 35 others came forward to their local government units to raise their concerns of being qualified for the social amelioration program based on the criteria set by the Social Welfare Department. Despite being in the list of beneficiaries, they are not in dire need to receive their cash aid.

In a statement, their local authorities announced their good will, “We would like to thank and express our appreciation to those 35 honest individuals in Barangay Gambang, initially targeted as Social Amelioration Program (SAP) potential beneficiaries who voluntarily waived their slots, prior to validation, because they possessed any of the disqualifications set by DSWD guidelines so that other qualified families will be accommodated on the said program.”

For their honesty, they were applauded by the Bakun Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. After all, their gesture paved the way for more qualified families to be given cash assistance.

“Such act of kindness shows that people of Bakun truly cares for others and they unite as one in this time of pandemic,” Bakun authorities stated in their Facebook post earlier this week.

In accordance to the ongoing Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, we are expecting to 18 million poor families to be provided a monthly allowance of between ₱5,000 to ₱8,000 for up to two months from the government.