BAGUIO CITY – A total of 35 heads of families in Bakun town have waived their PHP5,500 Social Amelioration Program (SAP) cash aid from the government through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in favor of those who are needier, an official said Tuesday.
“Kusa da nga in-waive ta inbaga da nga adda mas mangkailangan nga kakailian (They voluntarily waived saying that there are town mates who are more in need than them),” Bakun Mayor Bill Raymundo said in a phone interview.
He said they received a list of beneficiaries from the DSWD and during the validation and interview, they found out that there are those listed who have their pension, others felt that they can still manage on their own.
When given their SAP aid, they opted to return these, Raymundo said.
Bakun’s SAP allocation is for 2,499 heads of families. Of the number, more than 800 are covered by the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) while more than 1,600 are included in the SAP.
Raymundo, however, said that while there are residents who do not need it but were included as beneficiary, there are indigents but were not included.
“We encountered one who was pleading for inclusion but was not included because the husband is abroad. However, the husband was also affected and has no salary because of work stoppage,” he said.
Raymundo said that those who waived suggested names of relatives and neighbors who are in need and should instead receive the government’s assistance.
He said Bakun, a 3rd-class farming town in Benguet, operates on a limited fund, primarily dependent on internal revenue but it has a small fund to use for those not included in the list but need assistance.
“We will give them even if it will be a small amount,” he said.
He said Bakun has a quick response fund of PhP1 million, some of which they used to purchase rice for distribution as relief goods to 4,288 families.
Raymundo hopes that the town will recover soon especially with the upcoming harvest of the vegetable produce of their farmers.
“We ask that they cooperate and have more patience until the enhanced community quarantine is lifted. We are almost there,” he said.
He said that their town harvests its vegetables from May until June.
“We pray that when we harvest, the prices of vegetables will be good so that our people will be able to recover from the losses as a result of the ECQ,” Raymundo said.
Bakun’s seven villages are engaged in rice production while two are entirely engaged in vegetable production. **By Liza Agoot
