SAP Ops Center to Continue Beyond GCQ: DSWD-7

The chief of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Region 7 on Thursday said the operations center (OpCen) will continue to accept complaints on the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) beyond the general community quarantine (GCQ).

Rebecca Geamala, DSWD-7 regional director, said OpCen will continue to operate until all issues concerning SAP in the region are addressed by the agency.

“We do have enough staff who are assigned to receive calls and texts from the people who are inquiring about SAP,” Geamala told the Philippine News Agency.

She said that even though some of the DSWD-7 staff members assigned to man the 24/7 OpCen have already got sick, they will continue to answer the queries from the beneficiaries.

She, however, said she might lessen the OpCen’s operational hours when the region shifts to GCQ.

“Matapos ang operations center until matapos ang SAP (The operations center will continue until the end of the SAP),” she added.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID) issued Resolution No. 37, placing all areas in Central Visayas under GCQ, except the cities of Cebu and Mandaue which remain under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until May 31.

On Wednesday, the IATF-EID issued Resolution No. 40, placing the region under GCQ but Cebu City which will be placed under modified ECQ from June 1 to 15.

The OpCen project is part of the efforts of DSWD to facilitate, monitor, and review the timely provision of the assistance to eligible poor families through the 132 local government units in the region.

Prior to the DSWD memorandum on SAP, the regional field office opened the OpCen on March 24 in response to the call of the IATF-MEID-Region 7 to establish a center due to increasing number of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases.

The OpCen served as operations hub dedicated for SAP implementation of DSWD. It is where discussions on SAP were held as well as forums on the issuances, memorandum, guidelines and presentation materials.

Shalaine Marie Lucero, DSWD-7 assistant regional director for operations, said in a statement that OpCen is an avenue for consultation on how to approach specific concerns about SAP as well as on how to improve strategies in implementing the national cash assistance program.

“We see that while the operations were ongoing, there were sprouting concerns” from the people who are asking on their concerns about SAP, Lucero said.

According to DSWD-7 data from April 10 to May 22, the grievance team has received 37,875 Facebook chats, 1,498 emails, 2,703 calls, and 3,454 text messages.

Top inquiries and/or concerns received by the grievance team include those on qualifications, alleged inclusion errors, and alleged exclusion errors.

Lucero said the technical assistance and resource augmentation focal persons are tasked to oversee LGUs and relay concerns in relation to SAP to the Local Social Welfare Officers and the mayors. (PNA)