DSWD: P1.97B DAP fund went to Muslim region projects

Rappler.com

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The social welfare department defends its use of funds from the spending program recently declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Tuesday, July 8, defended Malacañang’s Disbursement Allotment Program (DAP) a week after the Supreme Court declared aspects of it unconstitutional.

The deparment received P1.97 billion from the DAP to augment its budget in 2011.  The funds were used to “provide resource augmentation for the local government to the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to implement social service projects in the area,” it said in a statement. (TIMELINE: Rise and fall of DAP

“Rest assured that the DAP additional allotment benefitted the rightful beneficiaries of DSWD programs and services,” DSWD Secretary Dinky Juliano Soliman said.

She added that the DAP allotment was used for projects which were within the department’s mandate.

The DSWD follows Senate President Franklin Drilon, an administration ally, who also issued a statement on how he spent the funds that his office received from the DAP.

Special projects

The projects included day care centers, school feeding, livelihood programs, cash for work, and emergency and modified shelter assistance.

These are special projects implemented by the Department’s ARMM field office, in addition to its regular programs.

DSWD is in charge of conducting the nationwide Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP), which targets young children enrolled in daycare centers.

In ARMM, 200,000 children participated in the 120-day feeding program. Meanwhile, 987 out of the targeted 1,100 day care centers finished construction.

In addition, 924 shelters were built, while more than 1,000 flood-affected families in Maguindanao received P10,000 each, DSWD reported.

Outside ARMM

DSWD, in partnership with the Commission on Higher Education, implemented the “Students Grants-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation” (SGP-PA) for poor college students nationwide.

The program also gave additional grants to qualified Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) student beneficiaries. Around 4,000 4Ps beneficiaries each received a maximum of P60,000/year.

An additional P1.3 billion DAP allocation was spent on the “Expanded Government Internship Program,” which provided students with skills training and an allowance of P20,000.

The program is managed by DSWD and Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Earlier, the Malacañang also defended DAP, claiming that it was “beneficial” and done “in good faith.”  (READ: Palace: ‘No regrets’)

Many Filipinos, however, remain critical of how the government used DAP. – Rappler.com

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