KORONADAL CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 12 (DSWD FO-12) tapped three payment firms across the region to fast track the distribution of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) cash subsidies for waitlisted beneficiaries.

Cezario Joel Espejo, DSWD-12 regional director, said Monday the measure will hasten the payment of cash assistance for thousands of qualified clients in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas.

Region-wide, the financial service providers identified was STARPAY, a licensed and regulated Electronic Money Issuer (EMI) by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas that will carry out the digital electronic disbursement of cash aid through Western Union, Cebuana and M- Lhuillier, according to Dir. Espejo. 

“Based on our timeline, the payouts will begin tomorrow. We thank our partners in the local government units for their support,” Dir. Espejo said.

Citing data from the protective services division, assistant regional director Bonifacio Selma Jr. said around 47,492 qualified heads of families were identified to be recipients of the cash assistance.

Of the total figure, Selma said 24, 880 beneficiaries with mobile numbers should expect to receive a message from any of the three payout centers where they can claim their money. In addition, the LGUs will post in their respective municipal and barangay level the lists of beneficiaries and the financial service providers where they can get their assistance. 

The measure to speed up the distribution of cash aid came after the DSWD Central Office signed a memorandum of agreement with the FSPs and the Land Bank of the Philippines.

Under the agreement, the Land Bank will serve as the “main depository bank” and will download funds to identified FSPs.  The Land Bank will transfer the fund into the FSPs funding accounts or in other financial institutions based on the instruction and payroll documents provided by the DSWD. (Reports from JBM / DSWD)