CITY OF MALOLOS- More or less 3,900 Bulakenyos from seven towns and one city received P2,400 cash grant from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) during the launching of the “Unconditional Cash Transfer” in the Province of Bulacan on Friday held at the Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium in this city.
The 996 beneficiaries from Hagonoy, 708 from the City of Malolos, 564 from Pulilan, 462 from Calumpit, 380 from Guiguinto, 309 from Plaridel, 244 from Balagtas and 238 from Paombong were identified through the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) or Listahanan.
DSWD Acting Secretary Virginia Orogo said that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte wants ease of business in the country that is why they have given the cash grant for the whole year when it is supposedly P200 per month.
“Yun po ang gusto ng ating Pangulo. Kung mayroon tayong mga serbisyo publiko, dapat tayo ay kumportable at kung maaari, walang nahihirapan sa pag-access ng serbisyo ng gobyerno,” Orogo said.
Governor Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado believed that the cash grant given to qualified beneficiaries is not giving alms to the poor but an act of concern, giving them a chance to live with dignity under the concept of social justice.
“Taimtim po naming hinahangad na sa pamamagitan ng mga ipinagkaloob na biyayang ito ng pamahalaan ay hindi lamang ninyo maitawid ng panandalian ang mabigat na kalagayan ng inyong mga pamilya, bagkus ay magsilbi nawa itong tulay patungo sa permanente, marangal, matiwasay at masaganang buhay ninyo,” the governor said.
He added that the DSWD has allotted a total of 15,900 beneficiaries for Bulacan and the remaining 12,000 recipients will be notified once the schedules are set.
Other local officials who witnessed the distribution of cash grant are Vice Governor Danile Fernando and Bulacan First District representative Congressman Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado, Provincial DSWD chief Rowena Paulino Tiongson Jr.- Provincial Manager of Land Bank Malolos.
The Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) is the biggest tax reform mitigation program under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law that seeks to provide cash grants to poor households and individuals who may not benefit from the lower income tax rates but may be adversely affected by rising prices.