Bong Go reminds LGUs to take care of barangay tanods, BHWs, daycare workers qualified to receive social amelioration

Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go reminded concerned national agencies and local government units to consider in their respective lists of beneficiaries the barangay workers who are qualified to receive assistance from the government's social amelioration program (SAP) amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) health emergency.

Earlier, Go has also appealed to the national government agencies and LGUs to immediately provide assistance to barangay tanods, barangay health workers, and daycare workers as recipients for the program.

"Dapat lamang po silang maisama sa mga mabibigyan ng tulong ng DSWD. Malaki rin po ang kanilang papel bilang frontliners ng ating mga barangay, lalo na sa kasalukuyang emergency na dinaranas ng bansa dulot ng COVID-19," he said.

During a radio interview, Go said that barangay workers who are considered sub-minimum wage earners should not be outrightly disqualified from receiving the said assistance.

"Alam mo marami sa ating mga barangay workers ay sub-minimum wage earners po, kaya naman po dapat silang maisama din po dun sa mabibigyan ng tulong ng Department of Social Welfare and Development," Go said.

The Senator specified that barangay workers, such as BHWs, tanods, and daycare workers serve as frontliners in their communities amid the ongoing global pandemic.

"Malaki po ang kanilang papel bilang frontliners sa kanilang barangay. Sila talaga 'yung kaharap ng tao at tumutulong kaagad sa mga kababayan natin," he said.

Go also thanked the DSWD for considering these barangay workers eligible for the benefits. "Nagpapasalamat tayo sa DSWD dahil maisasama na po nila itong mga barangay tanod, BHWs, daycare workers na qualified sila as part po ng target beneficiaries ng social amelioration program."

While the DSWD has released a memorandum which deems these barangay workers qualified for the assistance, Go clarified that the provision of the benefit will still depend on the prioritization of their respective local government units.

"Nasa DSWD order na po na qualified sila pero subject to availability of funds... importante po ay maari na silang isama at pasok na sila sa mga pwedeng na makakatanggap. Pero depende pa din po 'yan sa mga LGUs at kung papano nila paghahatiin yung allocation," he explained.

Go also assured that the government is doing its best to address other appeals and fill in the gaps in providing assistance to communities and other sectors of society.

"Ginagawa po lahat ng national government, ng DSWD ang lahat ng paraan na matugunan po 'yung mga sinasabing pagkukulang at 'yung mga appeal ng iba't ibang sektor," he said.

In a memorandum released by the agency on Thursday, April 16, DSWD adopted the recommendation of the Department of the Interior and Local Government to include the above-mentioned barangay functionaries as target beneficiaries of the program.

According to the recommendation, barangay tanods, BHWs and daycare workers should not be outrightly disqualified from the assistance since they belong to the vulnerable and disadvantaged sectors as sub-minimum wage earners.

Sub-minimum wage earners, by definition, refer to any person who earns a wage below the prescribed minimum and are the sole income earners of their respective families.

DILG and DSWD also noted that "the so-called heavy-lifting job for the immediate response to the pandemic has been delegated to BHWs and tanods as the frontliners in all communities."

The Senator also called on concerned national government agencies and LGUs to work together to resolve issues on conflicting lists of beneficiaries and improve the distribution system for the government's social amelioration program.

"I am appealing to all concerned agencies and LGUs that they should aim to perfect the distribution system of food and cash assistance as the government continues to address the COVID-19 situation," Go said.

"Ayusin na natin agad kapag may mga nakikitang problema. Siguraduhin natin na magamit ang pondo ng tama, walang masayang, at maramdaman ng mga tao kahit sa malalayong lugar ang tulong mula sa gobyerno," the Senator added.