Brgy. San Manuel Council uses percentage of development fund to sustain additional relief goods

Barangay officials of San Manuel will utilize 20% of their Annual Development Fund to be used in purchasing an additional 1,000 sacks of rice to distribute to its more than 10,000 residents, Gloria Miguel, barangay chieftain said in an interview Tuesday.

The measure was a result of a council meeting spearheaded by Miguel held on April 7, to which legislative officials agreed to use a percentage of their annual barangay fund to generate another thousand sacks of rice as assistance to the residents in relation to the partial extension of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the entire Luzon.

“Nag-usap kami ngayon ng council. Nag-desisiyon kami na pakialaman na naming ýung aming 20% development fund para makapamigay kami ng kahit tag 5 kilos rice sa aming mga kabarangay na nagugutom na sa panahon ngayon,” Miguel said.

“Sa tingin ko naman, kasi ang aming 20% development fund ay nasa 2.1M. Sa estimate, kinakailangan namin ng 1,000 sacks of rice para sa 10,000 na households’ kaya ýun ginamit namin ýung ating development fund,” she added.

A total quick response calamity fund amounting to P624,000 was initially allocated for relief goods such as rice, canned goods and noodles which was distributed to some residents last week, while another fund amounting to P507,000 was also used to purchase thousand sacks of rice for the second batch of distribution.

Though two initial bunch of relief goods were dispersed, Miguel said that it only reached more than 6,000 household of the barangay’s total population, leaving at least 4,000 families waiting.

The P1500 cash assistance coming from the City Government of Puerto Princesa, however, according to Miguel, is only allocated for 3,571 households whose names are listed based from the 2018 Census within their jurisdiction. This means that more than 7,000 families will not receive any cash assistance from the city.

“Yung relief goods hindi pa namin na-saturate ng husto. Noong unang release namin ang pakiusap namin sa mga ka-barangay kung may P1500 ka na, ýung walang P1500 sila muna ang unang bibigyan namin ng goods para may pantawid gutom na din sila. Marami pa rin kaming hindi nabigyan ng P1500 kasi inuna muna naming ýung walang P1500 dahil mas kailangan nila ýun,” Miguel said.

“Ýung P1500 naman ay naka-allocate lang sa amin ay 3,571 households, ýun nga katulad ng sinabi ko nasa 10,000 plus ang aming families, 3,571 lang ang meron. Kami ay meron nang ipinasang listahan sa City Council para sa nag-aabang sa second batch ng P1500,” she added.

Miguel also stressed that contradict to what the residents suppose, the barangay doesn’t have any obligation on the distribution of the cash assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

She also said that DSWD only gave a total of 3,076 slots for the prospective recipients of their cash assistance and the said benefactors don’t need to go to the barangay to enlist their names since representatives from DSWD will visit each purok and will do a house to house enlistment.

“3,076 slots. DSWD ang nag-iikot may mga kasama silang tanod, health workers at volunteers natin sila ang naga-identify noong ating mga ka- barangay na sinasabing mga nasa laylayan,” Miguel said.

“Magba- bahay bahay lang talaga ang DSWD. Hindi nila kailangang pumunta dito sa barangay kasi wala kaming hawak na form,” she added.

This means that more than 7,000 vulnerable members of the barangay will not receive any cash assistance from DSWD.

“Napakalaki ng mawawalan, kasi pinipilit ng aming mga kabarangay na sinasabi lahat pantay-pantay, lahat magkakaroon. Nakakalungkot dahil sa ganoong slot na binigay samin kami na naman ang mahihirapan kasi pinipilit ng aming mga kabarangay namin na lahat nga dapat pantay-pantay kaya hindi naming alam kung paano pagkakasyahin ýung munti naming calamity fund,” Miguel said.

Miguel, on the other hand, calls for patience to the public, she also pleads that residents should minimize ranting on social media.

“Nakikiusap sana ako sa mga ka-barangay na magka-unawaan lang sana at magtulungan. Sinisikap naman namin na mapag-lingkuran sila ng tapat. Kung may pagkukulang kami siguro konting unawa lang,” Miguel said.

“Kung may pagkakamali o pagkukulang ang barangay sana direkta sa amin kung ano ang kailangan o gagawin, huwag naman sa social media kasi durog na durog na kaming mga kapitan. Sinisikap naman naming lahat para lang maayos,” she added.