Cordillera Administrative Region- As of May 30, 2019, a total of Php 328,903,200 has been released to the beneficiaries of the Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) Program through a series of payout conducted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Landbank of the Philippines (LBP).
UCT provides assistance to Pantawid Pamilya households, social pensioners and other poor households identified in the database of Listahanan or the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) who will not benefit from the lower income tax rates but will be adversely affected by rising prices.
Each beneficiary was provided a one-time grant of Php 2,400 equivalent to Php 200 per month for 2018. This year and for 2020, the beneficiaries will be receiving Php 300 per month, which is equivalent to Php 3,600.
In Cordillera alone, there are 63,025 Pantawid Pamilya households, 66,080 social pensioners, and 23,705 Listahanan-listed households who are qualified beneficiaries of the UCT program. Out of 152, 810 beneficiaries, 81% have already claimed their 2018 grants last year during the first year of the program implementation and early this year.
Beneficiaries who are unable to personally claim their cash grants due to valid reason may authorize a representative within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity to claim their grant on their behalf.
Prior to claiming of the said grant, the authorized representatives are being required to present an original and a photocopy of at least one of their valid government issued IDs and of the beneficiary that they represent. An authorization form duly filled out and signed by the beneficiary, the authorized representative and the SWAD Team Leader is required as well to certify that the claimant is the person authorized by the beneficiary.
Meanwhile, DSWD-CAR Regional Director Janet P. Armas gives assurance to beneficiaries who were not able to claim their grant due to the death of the grantee before the payout.
“Determined beneficiary households are still entitled to the cash grant despite supervening events such as the death of the grantee before the payout date; however, we appeal to the beneficiaries and stakeholders to wait for the release of guidelines on how to resolve grievances or requests for change grantees.” Regional Director Armas said.
The program is implemented in compliance with Section 82 of Republic Act 10963 of 2017 or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) and Republic Act 10964 or the General Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2018, which mandates the government to provide social mitigating measures to protect and improve the lives of the poor and the vulnerable. #DSWD-CAR, SOCIAL MARKETING UNIT, Roxanne T. Maliones
