“Hindi ako napasama sa Emergency Subsidy Program under ng Social Amelioration Program (ESP-SAP) ng DSWD dahil isa akong frontliner. Hindi ko rin inasahang mabibigyan ng ganitong halaga na galing sa Local Government Unit (LGU) ng Bangar at lubos akong nagpapasalamat dahil malaking tulong ito para sa aking pamilya upang matugunan ang aming mga pangangailangan habang hindi pa nagiging normal ang sitwasyon (I was not included in the ESP-SAP of DSWD because I am a frontliner. I did not expect that I will be given cash aid from the LGU of Bangar, and I am very thankful because this is a big help for the needs of my family while the situation is not yet normal),” said Francis B. Mago Sr., a Pagbang-aran Program beneficiary. He is a Maritime Police Officer based in the City of San Fernando, La Union.
Francis was part of the 3,700 households who did not receive an emergency subsidy from the national government’s cash assistance but were given PhP5,500 through the Local Government of Bangar’s Pagbang-aran Program, an initiative adopted from the DSWD’s ESP – SAP to cover all families in the 33 barangays in Bangar, La Union.
“Noong ibinigay ang DSWD ESP-SAP target beneficiaries, 6,500 lang iyong families na napasama. Ang latest census po namin ay almost 12,000 families po ang aming nasasakupan. Nag-isip kami kung anong gagawin sa mga hindi napasama sa DSWD ESP-SAP, I instructed our Budget Officer na tumingin at aralin ang aming pondo kung may pwede ba kaming gamitin. Gusto namin i-adopt iyong program (SAP) since halos lahat po ng families ay apektado. After that, nalaman ng aming Budget Officer na kayang i-cover ang pangkalahatang hindi po nacover ng DSWD ESP-SAP(When the DSWD ESP-SAP target beneficiaries were given to us, there were only 6,500 families who were part of the allocation. As to our latest census, we have almost 12,000 families in our jurisdiction. I immediately instructed the Budget Officer to review our funds. I wanted to locally adopt the SAP since almost all families were affected by this pandemic. I was then told that we have enough funds for families who were not included in DSWD ESP-SAP),” said Mayor Joy P. Merin.
After thorough deliberation, a total of PhP40,700,000 funds were appropriated by the local government to realize the program including the provision of the second tranche, if the Province of La Union shall be included in the second tranche of DSWD ESP-SAP. The families who were waitlisted from the DSWD ESP-SAP were not endorsed to DSWD Field Office 1 but became beneficiaries in the Pagbang-aran Program. After which, a team was immediately formed composing of staff from the Municipal Government, barangay officials, and PNP to conduct house-to-house payout and validation. Aside from the Supplemental SAP of the LGU, localized programs for individuals with special cases and senior citizens were also initiated replicating the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation and Social Pension Program, respectively.
Pagbang-aran Program was implemented based on Executive Order No. 07N-2020 “Providing for the Guidelines for Implementation of the Supplemental Social Amelioration Program of the Local Government of Bangar, La Union” to help Bangareños cope with the adverse effects of the implementation of the community quarantine in the country. (by: Jenny Andres, Information Officer I/Social Marketing Unit)
