Special Guidelines in the Implementation of the Emergency Subsidy Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the Additional Beneficiaries

June 1, 2020

DSWD MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 14, S. 2020

SPECIAL GUIDELINES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EMERGENCY SUBSIDY PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT FOR THE ADDITIONAL BENEFICIARIES

I. RATIONALE

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in its implementation of the Emergency Subsidy Program (ESP) through the Social Amelioration Program (SAP), as required under Republic Act (R.A.) No. 11469 or the "Bayanihan to Heal as One Act," is presently faced with challenges over the disparity in the number of families provided with emergency subsidy. There were a significant number of families appealing for inclusion in the provision of emergency subsidy and in order to process these grievances, the DSWD established a Grievance/Appeal Mechanism in Memorandum Circular No. (M.C.) 09, Series of 2020 1 whereby the LGUs and DSWD Field Offices consolidate appeals and list families that were not included among the beneficiaries paid in the first tranche. The appeals were eventually heeded with the President directing the inclusion of additional beneficiaries of SAP.

This Circular shall be implemented to provide a mechanism to comply with said directive, as adopted in Resolution No. 31, Series of 2020 of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) and further elucidated in the Memorandum of the Executive Secretary dated 22 May 2020, to include additional eligible families in the initial 18 Million low-income family beneficiaries of the SAP under R.A. No. 11469 and DSWD-DOLE-DTI-DA Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 01, Series of 2020. 2

II. LEGAL BASES

A. Sections 4, 5, 9, and 15 of Article II of the 1987 Constitution;

B. Section 11, Article XIII, of the 1987 Constitution;

C. Section 4, Article XV, 1987 Constitution;

D. Presidential Proclamation No. 922, Declaring A State of Public Health Emergency Throughout the Philippines;

E. Office of the President, Memorandum from the Executive Secretary dated 15 March 2020,Stringent Social Distancing Measures and Further Guidelines for the Management of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation;

F. Office of the President, Memorandum from the Executive Secretary dated 16 March 2020,Community Quarantine Over the entire Luzon and Further Guidelines for the Management of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation;

G. Office of the President, Memorandum from the Executive Secretary dated 22 May 2020,Inclusion of Additional Households as Beneficiaries of the Social Amelioration Program and the Reconfiguration of the Budget for the Second Tranche;

H. Presidential Proclamation No. 929, Declaring A State of Calamity Throughout the Philippines due to Corona Virus Disease 2019;

I. Republic Act (R.A.) No. 11469, "Bayanihan to Heal as One Act";

J. Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease Resolution No. 11, Series of 2020;

K. Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease Resolution No. 12, Series of 2020;

L. Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease Resolution No. 13, Series of 2020;

M. Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease Resolution No. 31, Series of 2020;

N. Other issuances of local government units relating to localized imposition of community quarantine.

III. OBJECTIVE

This Circular is intended to provide guidance for the implementation of ESP through DSWD-SAP under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) for the additional low-income family beneficiaries of SAP. The process on how the DSWD will come-up with the Certified List of these additional beneficiaries/families, with consideration of harmonizing all of the available databases, shall likewise be laid down herein.

The provisions of Memorandum Circular No. 09, Series of 2020, including the provisions of Memorandum Circular Nos. 04, 06, and 07, Series of 2020, that are expressly mentioned herein shall be applied, and all other provisions shall be inapplicable for the implementation of this circular.

IV. COVERAGE

This Circular shall cover the provision of emergency subsidy for the estimated five (5) million eligible families which were not included in the initial eighteen (18) million (low-income) family beneficiaries of SAP for the first tranche. Identification of the additional beneficiaries shall be subject to the provisions of R.A. No. 11469, the resolution(s) to be issued by the IATF-EID, as well as other pertinent issuances.

Provided that, these additional beneficiaries shall be validated to determine their eligibility to receive the assistance based on the provisions of this Circular and to ensure that there are no duplications in the list paid in the first tranche by the DSWD, DOLE, DA and DOF-SSS mandated to implement the SAP under the R.A. No. 11469.

V. PROVISION OF EMERGENCY SUBSIDY IN ACCORDANCE WITH R.A. NO. 11469

The ESP shall be provided by the national government through various National SAP to the eligible waitlisted families. The subsidy shall amount to a minimum of Five Thousand Pesos (PhP5,000.00) to a maximum of Eight Thousand Pesos (PhP8,000.00) a month, computed based on the prevailing regional minimum wage rates, and shall be provided for two (2) months in the form of outright cash, subject to the limitations of any law, executive issuance, or resolution(s) to be issued.

The table below provides the proposed subsidy amount per region, based on the proportion of the minimum wage rates:

 

Region	Daily minimum wage in pesos	Subsidy amount in pesos per month	ESP given to families with members of 4Ps
NCR	PHP537.00	PHP8,000.00	PHP6,650.00
CAR	PHP350.00	PHP5,500.00	PHP4,150.00
I	PHP340.00	PHP5,500.00	PHP4,150.00
II	PHP370.00	PHP5,500.00	PHP4,150.00
III	PHP420.00	PHP6,500.00	PHP5,150.00
IV-A	PHP400.00	PHP6,500.00	PHP5,150.00
IV-B	PHP320.00	PHP5,000.00	PHP3,650.00
V	PHP310.00	PHP5,000.00	PHP3,650.00
VI	PHP395.00	PHP6,000.00	PHP4,650.00
VII	PHP404.00	PHP6,000.00	PHP4,650.00
VIII	PHP315.00	PHP5,000.00	PHP3,650.00
IX	PHP316.00	PHP5,000.00	PHP3,650.00
X	PHP365.00	PHP6,000.00	PHP4,650.00
XI	PHP396.00	PHP6,000.00	PHP4,650.00
XII	PHP326.00	PHP5,000.00	PHP3,650.00
CARAGA	PHP320.00	PHP5,000.00	PHP3,650.00
ARMM	PHP325.00	PHP5,000.00	PHP3,650.00

 

VI. DEFINITION OF TERMS

In addition to Item IV, Definition of Terms of M.C. 09, series of 2020, the following terms are defined for this Circular:

A. List of Additional Beneficiaries — eligible families who were not included in the 18 million target beneficiaries, and who were not provided with emergency subsidy/SAP by any government agency for the first tranche. These beneficiaries may include those who availed of the appeal system under Item XII of M.C. No. 09, series of 2020 and/or those included by the LGUs in the list of waitlisted or left-out in their locality or the unpaid beneficiaries in the 4Ps roster;

B. Certified List — this shall refer to the clean list of the beneficiaries that are eligible for ESP, as determined by the LGU and crossmatched with all the available databases.

VII. TARGET BENEFICIARIES

The ESP under this Circular shall be given to an estimated five (5) million eligible low-income families, validated and assessed by their respective LGUs to be financially and economically affected by the declaration of community quarantine due to COVID-19 pandemic but were not included in the initial eighteen (18) million family beneficiaries of SAP for the first tranche. Target beneficiaries shall include:

a. Families with low income — those who have no income, low income, or no savings to draw from, including those who are not currently recipients of the current 4Ps, and working in the informal economy, such as but not limited to those specifically enumerated in M.C. No. 09, Series of 2020;

b. Families with members who are considered part of the "vulnerable group," as defined in M.C. No. 09, Series of 2020, including a persons with disability, senior citizens or pregnant or lactating women who are the head of their low-income family as defined herein;

Provided that in the determination, they shall be qualified as families and not as individual members such that the provision of ESP to any one of them will exclude the other members of the declared family in the qualification.

c. Person(s) previously included in a Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) household but was tagged as "moved out" in the 4Ps database at least sixty (60) days before the quarantine period, provided, that the following requirements are met:

1) the named member of a 4Ps household was tagged as "moved-out" in the 4Ps database;

2) the family of the named member is not enrolled as a 4Ps household;

3) the named member has a family of his/her own and is living separately from the 4Ps household that he/she was previously a part of;

4) that the named member or his/her family is not receiving any grants from the 4Ps household where he/she was originally listed; and

5) his/her family is considered as "low-income family with no source of income or savings to draw from."

d. Families in the roster of 4Ps but have not received the emergency subsidy due to varied factors. 3

The beneficiaries shall be qualified as long as the family, as defined in M.C. No. 09, Series of 2020, is residing in the LGU, regardless of the length of stay and the individual voter's registration of its members.

Subject to the elucidations stated below, the exclusions provided under M.C. No. 09, Series of 2020 shall also be made applicable in this Circular; to wit:

a. Families with members who are elected and Appointed government official/s (i.e.,permanent, contractual, casual, coterminous) or personnel contracted (under Memorandum of Agreement; Cost of Service, Job Order and other similar arrangement/s) in any National Government Agency (NGA),Government-owned and Controlled Corporation, Local Government Unit and GOCCs with original charter;

For purposes of the implementation of the ESP, persons who are engaged by the government and are only receiving allowances or honorarium below the maximum regional subsidy, including those not covered by the Salary Standardization Law (such as, but not limited to, Barangay Tanods and Day Care Workers),and persons who are voluntarily serving the government (such as, but not limited to, the Barangay Health Workers and Barangay Nutrition Scholar) may be allowed to receive emergency subsidy, subject to the assessment and finding that such person belongs to a low-income family, does not belong to a 4Ps household, and none of the other member(s) of his/her family falls within the exclusion.

b. Families with members who are employees in the private sector, or those in the formal economy, including those who are employees of GOCCs without original charters, regardless of the existence of employee-employer relationship, and regardless of the fact that they are receiving salary or wage;

c. Families whose members are receiving pension above the prescribed maximum regional emergency subsidy; and

d. Families with independent financial capacity consistent with the intent of RA 11469 to provide ESP only to low income families.

VIII. VALIDATION PROCESS

A. Validation Process of the List provided by the LGU

The list from the LGUs shall be subjected to a validation process consisting of eligibility and duplication checks which shall be performed by the LGU and the DSWD, respectively (Attached herein as Annex "A" is the process flow of the validation process).No payout shall be allowed, unless the complete validation process provided hereunder is observed.

Level 1: List of Additional Beneficiaries from the LGUs

The LGU shall have the sole responsibility in determining the eligibility of the families based on the information in the Social Amelioration Card (SAC).The masterlist shall include the SAC ID numbers and shall be signed and certified by the City/Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office and the Local Chief Executive. The identified beneficiaries of the LGUs are presumed eligible subject to Item XII (A) hereof.

The final output shall be the List of Additional Beneficiaries, which shall be submitted to the DSWD FOs along with the encoded SAC forms. Said list shall undergo regional and inter-regional levels (2 and 3) of deduplication.

Level 2: Deduplicated List of Additional Beneficiaries

The DSWD FOs shall conduct a regional deduplication of the list of eligible additional beneficiaries submitted by the LGUs under Level 1, within five (5) days from receipt thereof. The deduplication process shall entail cross-matching of the list with the available databases of the DSWD and list/s shared by other government agencies implementing the SAP to determine if there were duplicates in the subsidies provided or beneficiaries that received the same.

The deduplicated list will be certified by the Information Communication and Technology Management Unit (ICTMU) and verified by the respective Regional Director. The deduplicated list shall be submitted to the DSWD Central Office (CO) for inter-regional deduplication/cross-matching, under Level 3.

Level 3: Certified List of Additional Beneficiaries for Payroll.

Within five (5) days from the receipt of the deduplicated list under Level 2, the signed deduplicated list from the DSWD FOs shall further be subjected to a deduplication process to determine any duplication at the inter-regional level. The cross-matching shall be done by the (ICTMS) in coordination with the program office or bureau concerned, including but not limited to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Office and the Program Management Bureau to ensure synchronicity and status updating of the beneficiaries in the list. The said cross-matched list shall then be certified and signed by the head of the ICTMS and endorsed to the Operations Cluster. The final number of target beneficiaries shall be concurred by the Cluster Head and submitted to GASSG for determination of budget requirement.

This final output shall be the "Certified List" as defined herein. The beneficiaries included in the certified list shall be considered as eligible without the need for further certification from the respective office, bureau, or program concerned.

Level 4:

The list may be provided to the DOF in order to further crossmatch the identified beneficiaries.

B. Appeal System

All appeals for inclusion in the DSWD SAP received by/endorsed to the DSWD FOs, including those endorsed by the DSWD Agency Operation Center at the CO must undergo eligibility check by the LGU and duplication check by the DSWD.

The received appeals for inclusion may be forwarded by the DSWD FO to the concerned LGU to validate if the complaining or requesting person/family has satisfied the eligibility requirement, viz.:

1. Belongs to a "low-income family," as defined in herein and as explained by Item (VI-A) of the Omnibus Guidelines and this Circular; and

2. Does not belong to those who are explicitly excluded, as enumerated in Item (VI-B) of the Omnibus Guidelines and as expounded under this Circular.

The list of beneficiaries determined eligible will be returned by the LGU to the DSWD for the required deduplication processes before the beneficiaries may be included in the "certified list." Provided that, the DSWD FOs may, at their discretion, conduct the full validation process (eligibility and duplication checks) on the received appeals for inclusion, when the circumstances warrant.

C. Standard Deduplication Process by the DSWD Central and Field Offices

The Level 2 and 3 deduplication process as contemplated in this Circular shall be done in accordance with the procedure set by the DSWD Information Communication Technology Management Services (ICTMS).

IX. DOCUMENTARY REQUIREMENTS

All beneficiaries who shall form part of the List of Additional Beneficiaries from the LGUs (Level 1) shall present a valid ID or a certificate (Attached as Annex "B") from the Barangay that they are in need of assistance from the government due to the COVID-19 outbreak, in lieu of any of the certification specified in the following specific requirements, depending on the kind of beneficiary:

 

BENEFICIARY/IES	SPECIFIC
HOMELESS FAMILIES AND OTHER VULNERABLE GROUPS	As applicable: Certification from the Barangay they are located certifying that they are homeless families or belonging to other vulnerable groups, or from the CSWDO/MSWDO/PSWDO where they are currently located
INDIGENT INDIGENEOUS PEOPLES	Certification from the NCIP or the tribal chieftain/council of elders that the beneficiaries are Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and are on subsistence economy
INFORMAL WORKERS	As applicable: Driver's License; Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (TODA) ID; or Certification of membership from the Organization/Association; or Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC);or Certification from the Barangay/Municipality, for TODA only. Employment ID; or Kasambahay ID; or Certificate of Employment/Separation from or Suspension of Work from the employer; Proof of business; Any other proof showing employment/occupation/enterprise
FARMERS AND FISHERFOLKS	ID or Certification issued by the DA — RABAS and BFAR, as the case may be.
OVERSEAS FILIPINOS IN DISTRESS	a. Photocopy of Valid Passport Bio Page; and b. Photocopy of any of the following: 1. Passport arrival stamp; 2. Proof of departure ticket; 3. Overseas Employment Certificate; 4. Employment Contract; or 5. Any other documents to prove that the OFs were repatriated or banned from traveling outside the Philippines within the prescribed period; The families of OFs who are not receiving remittance within this period may likewise submit any proof of such claim.

 

In case any of the requirements stated herein is not available, a written justification by the social worker assigned justifying the circumstances or reason/s for the absence of the document may be required. The social worker mentioned in this paragraph may be a P/C/MSWDO.

X. IMPLEMENTING GUIDELINES ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF EMERGENCY SUBSIDY PROGRAMS THROUGH ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS IN CRISIS SITUATION (ESP-AICS)

A. Distribution Scheme

The DSWD, in the distribution of its social amelioration program, may resort to the most expeditious means which may include any of the following:

1. Direct cash payouts;

2. Payment through electronic or digital means;

3. Cash card payments;

4. Transfer of funds through the NGAs; or

5. Any other mode to expedite the distribution of assistance.

Provided that the cash payout may either be through door-to-door, or per beneficiary in specified distribution point(s),where the beneficiary shall be called from his/her place of abode to receive the assistance, or through digital or electronic means. Provided further, that any proposed scheme must be compliant and consistent with the resolutions issued by the IATF-EID.

XI. WORKFORCE COMPLEMENT AND INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

A. DSWD CENTRAL OFFICE

1. The Operations Cluster shall oversee the overall implementation of this Circular and the distribution of the second tranche, and resolve issues related thereto;

2. Provide the Certified List of the additional beneficiaries who will receive the emergency subsidy under this Circular;

3. Monitor the nationwide implementation of the ESP thru the SAP Special Working Group;

4. Consolidate reports thru the Policy Development and Planning Bureau;

5. Conduct the inter-regional cross-matching or deduplication of lists gathered with all of the available databases and submitted lists of the FOs thru the ICTMS;

6. Facilitate the necessary process/es for the transfer and release of funds to the FOs thru the Financial Management Service;

7. The Legal Services shall assist in the interpretation of this Circular should the need arise; and

8. Augment personnel workforce upon request of the FOs.

B. DSWD FIELD OFFICES:

1. Collection of SAC forms and List of Additional Beneficiaries, as encoded by the LGUs;

2. Proceed with the deduplication process and produce a deduplicated list signed by the ICTMU head and verified by the Regional Director;

3. Facilitate the preparation and approval of the payroll;

4. Ensure the timely distribution of the emergency subsidy to the beneficiaries based on the approved payroll;

5. Post in the FO official website the list of beneficiaries who already received the emergency subsidy limited to the following information: (a) given and last names of the registered head of family; and (b) barangay and district;

6. Review, monitor, facilitate the submission and consolidation of reports to the CO such as the registry and data of beneficiaries, whether served or unserved;

7. Execute a memorandum of agreement/understanding with the LGU, if deemed necessary; and

8. Process the liquidation and refund, which shall be completed and submitted from the last day of the distribution of emergency subsidy.

To perform any of the foregoing functions of the DSWD, the CO and/or the FO may enter into memoranda of agreement with other national government agencies, as deemed necessary.

C. ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES AND THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE

There shall be a continuous engagement of the members of the AFP and PNP, who shall act as workforce complement before, during, and after the distribution of cash assistance. The LGUs, AFP and PNP shall assist and support the DSWD to speed up the delivery of assistance. In the exigency of service, the DSWD CO may augment workforce to the Field and SWAD Satellite Offices upon timely request.

In reference to the pronouncement of the President and in coordination with the IATF-EID, the DSWD shall formally engage the AFP and the PNP through a Joint Memorandum Circular and Memorandum of Agreement to perform the following functions:

1. To secure the area identified by the DSWD or LGU where social amelioration activities shall take place;

2. To secure and assist the DSWD and/or LGU representatives in the exercise of the functions provided in this circular;

3. To lend technical assistance to effectuate the provisions of this Circular;

4. To provide land, air, and sea assets to transport DSWD and LGU personnel and goods for the purpose of delivery of assistance to the beneficiaries;

5. Provide other services, including the conduct of payout pursuant to transfer of fund and liquidation, as may be necessary to expedite the delivery of assistance.

D. LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

The LGUs shall provide logistical support to the DSWD as needed for the payout, including but not limited to on-site facilities, venue, tools, equipment, electric facilities and other similar support. Specifically, the LGUs shall perform the following:

1. Determine the eligibility of additional beneficiaries and provide the list of eligible beneficiaries and all necessary documents including the accomplished SAC to the DSWD FO;

2. Facilitate distribution, accomplishment, collection from the beneficiaries, and encoding of SAC forms;

3. Assist in the registration of the beneficiaries in the ReliefAgad website/application;

4. Assist the DSWD in the distribution of the emergency subsidy;

5. Post in the LGU official website, social media accounts, and at conspicuous places the list of beneficiaries who already received the emergency subsidy limited to the following information: (a) given and last names of the registered head of family; and (b) barangay and district;

6. Assist in responding to the grievances received during the implementation of the SAP; and

7. Perform other actions or activities consistent with the provisions of this Circular.

For purposes of herein guidelines, the Provincial Government shall assist the DSWD in the monitoring of the implementation. Provided that, the DSWD may seek the assistance of the Provincial Government in the direct implementation of the ESP.

E. OTHER NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IMPLEMENTING SAP

To ensure that deduplication shall be facilitated, the other agencies implementing the government SAP shall share/provide the available databases of their SAP beneficiaries with the DSWD, within three (3) days from receipt of the request.

XII. GRIEVANCE ON THE ADDITIONAL BENEFICIARIES

Any interested person, during or after the conduct of payout, may submit a written complaint before any DSWD personnel or office, or to any other government offices authorized to receive complaints. Grievances or any complaints relevant to the implementation of the SAP may also be filed thru any of the government hotlines 4 dedicated for such purpose.

Any of the following acts may be a ground for filing of a grievance/complaint:

a. Any act or omission of any government officials that are contrary to the any of the government guidelines or circulars issued relative to the implementation of the ESP/SAP;

b. Acts or omissions committed during the implementation of the ESP/SAP that are punishable by any law or rules and regulations;

c. Ineligibility of any of the beneficiaries to receive emergency subsidy; or

d. Any other grievances related to the implementation of the ESP/SAP.

XIII. EFFECTIVITY CLAUSE

This circular shall be effective upon signing and shall remain valid within the effectivity of R.A. No. 11469.

Signed on the 1st day of June 2020, in Quezon City.

(SGD.) ROLANDO JOSELITO D. BAUTISTASecretary

ANNEX A

General Process Flow for the Distribution of Emergency Subsidy

 

ANNEX B

 

Government Office or Government Program	Hotline and/or Email Address
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) TUPAD and CAMP	1349 (nationwide hotline)
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)	16545 (nationwide hotline) 0947-482-2864, 0918-912-2813 (Smart)* 0932-933-3251 (Sun)* 0916-247-1194 (Globe)* [email protected] *for text or SMS complaints only
Department of the Interior and Local Government Local Government monitoring	02-8876-3454 loc. 8806/8810 02-8925-0343 0927-422-6300, 0915-005-4535 (Globe) 0996-1384-9272 (Cherry Globe Prepaid) 0961-772-16681n (Smart)
Other government agencies or office	8888

 

 

Footnotes

1. Omnibus Guidelines in the Implementation of the Emergency Subsidy Program of the DSWD.

2. Special Guidelines on the Provision of Social Amelioration measures by the DSWD, DOLE, DTI, DA, DOF, DBM and DILG to the most affected residents of the areas under Enhanced Community Quarantine.

3. Other families in the 4Ps roster that were not included in the 18 million target beneficiaries for the first tranche due to, but not limited to, late registration/reactivation of households, late submission of documentary attachments and updates, newly registered replacement households, and MCCT households excluded during "tugmaan" (matching) validation procedure.

4. Please see Annex "B" for the Government Hotline Directory.

n Note from the Publisher: Copied verbatim from the official copy.