Hundreds of Navotas residents waive P4.5M worth of DSWD coronavirus benefits

MANILA, Philippines – Hundreds of resident of Navotas City have waived their benefits, totalling around P4.6 million, under the coronavirus outbreak amelioration program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). 

In an update sent to journalists on Friday, May 1, the local government said “551 residents returned their social amelioration cards and 24 gave back the P8,000 cash,” citing a report from the City Social Welfare and Development Office.

“We will request for DSWD’s permission to replace the names of the beneficiaries so that 575 low-income families will have an opportunity to avail [themselves of] the program,” said Mayor Toby Tiangco. 

He thanked the Navoteños “who have been honest and those who chose to waive their subsidy to help others in need.”

There have been reports from several localities across the country that the DSWD’s lists for the emergency amelioration program include beneficiaries who aren’t necessarily poor, or that households whose members already receive benefits from existing programs have been listed a second time. 

Tiangco reiterated that the following are not supposed to receive the coronavirus emergency subsidy anymore: 

• Beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program
• Beneficiaries of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers Program
• Beneficiaries of the assistance for public utility drivers
• Government employees, except barangay tanod, healthcare workers, and daycare workers
• Pensioners
• Those who don’t have dependents 

“If you are among these individuals, please return your forms or cash to your barangay. Don’t wait for us to catch you,” Tiangco said. “Misdeclaration is punishable by law. If you deliberately entered incorrect information or withheld information so you could qualify, you can be jailed, regardless of [whether] you received the P8,000 or not.”

Metro Manila’s mayors have been lobbying the DSWD to restore the long lists of beneficiaries they submitted for emergency cash aid but which were shortened because of the quotas imposed by the agency. 

As of May 1, Navotas has had 31 conrfirmed cases of coronavirus infections, with 5 deaths and 0 receoveries, according to the Department of Health tracker. (READ: Where are the coronavirus cases in Metro Manila?) – Rappler.com