Caraga region fastest to distribute coronavirus emergency subsidies – tracker

MANILA, Philippines – The Caraga region in northeastern Mindanao has been the fastest in distributing coronavirus emergency subsidies, based on the tracker of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). 

It has distributed subsidies to almost 82% of its total 495,316 beneficiaries as of April 27. In comparison, the National Capital Region (NCR) has distributed to only 23.4% of its total beneficiaries. The country capital was allocated the biggest budget for the subsidy program, almost P25 billion. (READ: May emergency subsidies to be delayed if LGUs fail to report April payouts – DSWD)

Like most regions in the country, Caraga has almost completed distributing subsidies for its 4Ps families. Nearly 95% of the total 190,220 4Ps beneficiaries have received their packages totalling P653.57 million.

The 4Ps government program or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program gives poor households cash grants based on certain conditions. These beneficiaries were automatically allocated coronavirus emergency subsidies. 

Bulk of the beneficiaries of the coronavirus subsidy are non-4Ps families or 13.5 million of total 17.6 million families. 

In Caraga, up to 75% of its non-4Ps beneficiaries – 226,210 out of 305,096 families – have also received their packages totalling P1.13 billion.

Caraga region is composed of the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao del Sur. 

The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) was the second fastest region. It has distributed subsidies to 68% of its total 297,289 beneficiaries. 

Up to 99.8% of its 60,136 4Ps families have received their packages totalling P248.96 million while up to 60% of its 237,153 non-4Ps families have received their packages totalling P783.38 million.

CAR is composed of the provinces of Abra, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province and Apayao.

Slow distribution among non-4Ps families

There are 17.6 families targeted to receive emergency subsidies totalling almost P100 billion for the month of April. These are 4,321,542 4Ps families and 13,309,449 non-4Ps families that were alloted P5,000 to P8,000 each. 

DSWD offices have distributed subsidies to only 46.1% of total beneficiaries nationwide. It’s 85.7% among 4Ps families and 33.3% among non-4Ps families. 

Caraga region is the exception as most regions have been slow to distribute among non-4Ps families. (READ: IN LIMBO: Poor families still await subsidies during coronavirus lockdown)

The slowest among the regions in distributing subsidies to non-4Ps families are the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (6.1%), NCR (13.2%), Central Luzon (13.2%), Zamboanga Peninsula (18.3%), and Eastern Visayas (18.4%). – Rappler.com