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Responding to the common clamor of residents who are still waiting for the financial assistance through the Social Amelioration Program of the DSWD, the Joint RIATF on Covid 19 has pushed for an immediate intervention to meet the people’s concern.

Through a resolution which was unanimously approved by the 25-member task force, the DSWD XII Field Office has been given the primary task to conduct the pay-out to SAP beneficiaries in Pres. Quirino, Sultan Kudarat. The resolution believes there is a need to hasten the release of the said funds meant to alleviate the suffering of residents who had been subject to the community quarantine relative to Covid 19 for more than three weeks now.

The Task Force’s action will guarantee the faster distribution of the funds and their move was based it on the feedback received from the residents of the said municipality.

DILG XII Regional Director Josephine Cabrido- Leysa, CESO III said the full support for the said resolution is an indication of the ‘responsiveness of the TF and its sensitivity to the needs of the constituents in Region XII.”

“We cannot afford delays, in line with the President’s directive to release the funds as quickly as possible. Any hindrance will prolong the agony of our residents and it is something we never want to happen,” The Director explained. Presently, the whole of Region XII is under an extended enhanced community quarantine which was set to end on April 30, like the Luzon quarantine.

In the most recent regular teleconference on Tuesday, April 14, the TF also called for “better coordination and complementation” among the provincial governments within the region to address the growing need for food and other supplies. “Our region is sufficient in itself”, according to Dir. Leysa, “but something has to be done so that goods from other areas can reach more communities who need them. It simply means that the needs of other LGUs can be addressed with the complementation method.”

The Resolution encourages all PLGUs and Provincial Government Offices of Region XII to ensure that their issuances like executive orders must include a provision on the complementation of food and other products.

Dir. Leysa adds,”We can best weather any storm if there is unity, care and concern in all our actions.###