CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) – A total of 10,249 persons with disabilities (PWDs) identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 7 will receive a P500 monthly subsidy for eight months.
Following the signing of the agreement on July 5, the Cebu provincial government started the QR-coded card distribution for releasing subsidies for poor PWDs from DSWD-7.
DSWD 7 regional director Shalaine Marie S. Lucero and Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn F. Garcia handed out the QR-coded cards to the local chief executives at the Social Hall of the Cebu Capitol on Sept. 2.
PWD residents of the province, including Mandaue City, identified as poor by the Listahan 3 database and not belonging to 4Ps household beneficiaries, are the recipients of this project.
The beneficiaries can use the electronic subsidy QR-coded card to buy essential commodities from accredited partner merchants established by the province.
Aside from essential commodities, other measures will ensure opportunities for participation and inclusion for PWDs.
“Other than the need for food, we recognize that we need to address PWD rights and their other needs. That is why there is a PLUS to this subsidy,” said Lucero.
The ‘Cash for Food Subsidy Plus’ program will allow PWDs to be registered in the registry of the Department of Health, to be linked to self-help groups, and to avail of programs and services from other government agencies through their respective local social welfare and development offices.
The project is worth P40.9 million through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program of DSWD.
It aims to alleviate the financial burden experienced by poor PWDs by buying food while fostering social inclusion by enhancing their participation in community life, thereby reducing the stigma associated with disability.
Each card will be credited with P500 once every two months to minimize the cost of transportation in purchasing the items.
Beneficiaries will only buy what is on the list provided by the program for the items they need daily, such as rice, bread, fish, eggs, meat products, milk, vegetables, fruits, coffee, cooking oil, salt, and sugar.
Every transaction needs a one-time PIN or OTP and an identification card.
The transaction will be recorded real-time for monitoring purposes to avoid suspicious activities and others who might take advantage of their vulnerability. (HFG/PIA7 with reports from DSWD)
