Qualified but unlisted beneficiaries may still get shelter assistance

FAMILIES who are qualified to receive Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) but were not included in the master list have a chance to become beneficiaries. Association of Barangay Chairmen President Mariano Y. Corro declared this at the meeting on the ESA called by the 13^th Sangguniang Panlungsod’s Committee on Social Welfare last Apr. 20.

Corro, who is a lawyer, based his observation on the memorandum issued by Secretary Dinky Soliman of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). He specifically cited point number two of the memo dated Feb. 25, 2015 which partly states:

“Any number beyond the CRP (Comprehensive and Recovery Plan) classified as non-CRP targets may be requested for funding with DSWD-Central Office subject for fund sourcing with the DBM (Department of Budget and Management).” No timetable was given on the approval of the requested funds, however.

Controversy arose over the posting last Apr. 11 of the ESA master list which contained double entries and names of unqualified recipients, as well as the inclusion of both husband and wife, among others. Some names are found elsewhere and not under the barangays they belong to.

Social Welfare Asst. Vilma F. Mendoza of the City Social Welfare and Development Office attributes some of the missing names to the submission of more than one Dafac forms to different barangays by individuals who wanted to get more than their fair share of relief aid.

This resulted to double entries in the database, prompting the encoder to delete the duplicate name, notwithstanding if the remaining name actually belongs to the barangay where it was posted. This explains why some names of qualified beneficiaries are found elsewhere instead of the barangays where they actually belong.