With the increasing issues and concerns of families who believe that they are eligible but have been excluded from the list of beneficiaries of  the Social Amelioration Program (SAP), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has set up a Grievance Redress System (GRS) to address these.

“The public is encouraged to voice out and report anomalies or irregularities in the delivery of SAP through the DSWD Grievance Redress System,” Undersecretary Camilo Gudmalin said in a virtual presser on April 20.

As emphasized in Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, the subsidy shall be given to low-income families, assessed to be most affected by the imposition of community quarantine, given their existing life situations or circumstances. Such families but who are not in the initial list of beneficiaries may file an appeal with their respective Local Social Welfare and Development Offices (LSWDOs) within three days from the start of the payout or distribution of SAP in their barangay. The LSWDO shall then submit the consolidated appeals to the concerned DSWD Field Office for evaluation within three days.

DSWD clarified that under the DSWD Omnibus Guidelines, families shall be excluded from receiving emergency subsidy if any of their members are: (a) Elected and appointed government officials such as permanent, contractual, casual, coterminous or personnel contracted (under Memorandum of Agreement, Cost of Service, Job Order, and other similar arrangement/s) in any National Government Agency (NGA), Government-owned and Controlled Corporation, Local Government Unit, and GOCC with original charter;  (b) Employees in the private sector, or those in the formal economy, including those who are employees of GOCC without original charters, regardless of the existence of employee-employer relationship, and regardless of the fact that they are receiving salary or wage; (c) retired individuals who are receiving pension; (d) families with independent financial capacity consistent with the intent of RA 11469 to provide assistance to low income families.

Likewise, under the Omnibus Guidelines, all grievances related to the SAP implementation will be managed and monitored by the DSWD Central Office-Operations Center through its 24/7 hotline number 16545. The OpCen shall receive complaints and ensure proper referencing and reporting to concerned office for validation and/or investigation. The concerned office is required to respond to the said report within twenty-four hours from receipt.

DSWD ensures that government resources are given to rightful beneficiaries especially those who need the services the most during these critical times. ###