Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Rationale of the Study

The Filipino Family is the basic unit of society. It varies in the number of

members and the systems it uses to get by in life. The National Development Authority

(NEDA) published a study that revealed that a family of 5 typically uses up 42,000 pesos

a month to have a comfortable life. A house, a secure job, a secure food supply and

amenities are the needs a Filipino family has to have (NEDA).

Currently, what is certain is that, COVID-19 – is an infectious disease caused by a

severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. A new stain of virus first detected in

Wuhan, China in the last quarter of 2019 has profoundly shaken the basic fundamentals

in our society. The Philippines has witnessed the swift and merciless impact of C0VID-

19. In March 2020, The World Health Organization (WHO) has characterized COVID-19

as a pandemic due to the exponential increase of the number of cases in more than 100

countries. This pandemic has made it clear that it knows no social class, race, gender or

even age. The COVID-19 pandemic is far more than a health crisis: it is affecting

societies and economies at their core. It has reached and affected the most and advanced

as well as the poorest countries but the most glaring difference is in the manner of their

respective governments to manage the containment and the isolation of the disease.

Assessing the impacts of the COVID-19 crises on societies, economies and

vulnerable groups is fundamental to inform and tailor responses of governments and

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partners to recover from the crises and ensure that no one is left behind. Immediate

development response in this crises must be undertaken with an eye to the future. On

March 25, 2020, PRRD signed the Republic Act (R.A.) 11469 or The Bayanihan to Heal

as One Act which gave him additional powers to handle the outbreak of COVID-19 for 3

months (March 25-June24, 2020). This was after both Houses of Congress (no session

because they are on vacation) had an emergency sessions to act and give the President

additional powers.

One of the primary features of this law is the government’s step to give qualified

families a sum of money ranging from P5,000-P8,000 depending on the region’s wage

rate. This is famously known as the Social Amelioration Program (SAP). This cash

subsidy aims to give the Filipino family a chance to get by as the country battles the

Pandemic. The system of making sure that this program runs as planned is done by the

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)

As the progression of the program went along, several glitches and problems

arose. This included the slow delivery of the subsidy, the manipulation of the master list

by incumbent local officials and many others which has left majority of the country

wanting more.

In Abgao, Maasin City, the Social Amelioration Program also has taken root.

Families have also known and (some) have received. However, delays also have casted a

shadow over the conduct of the said program which has, in a way, affected the lives of

the people who need it in a number of ways especially because the COVID-19 Pandemic

and its adverse effects continue to drag on. . In Barangay Abgao, it is also very noticeable

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that slums and squatter areas are present subjecting a number of families under the SAP

making it a good place for the conduct of this study.

THE PROBLEM

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to find out the effects of the delays in the distribution of the

Social Amelioration Program in Barangay Abgao, Maasin City.

Specifically, it aims to answer and accomplish the following:

1. What is the demographic of every family in Abgao, Maasin City in terms of:

1.1 Size

1.2 Needs and priorities

1.3 Jobs and income

2. Who are the SAP beneficiaries in Abgao, Maasin City

3.How much budget should a family in Maasin have in order to survive?

4. How important is the SAP to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 to every family in

this community?

5. What are the factors that contribute to the delays in the SAP distribution in the

Barangay?

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6. From the data gathered from the questions above the researcher of this study will come

up with principles, guides and suggestions regarding the ways to enhance the ways of the

distribution of the SAP in the community of Barangay Abgao, Maasin City

Significance of the Study

This study about the effects of delays of the SAP distribution in Barangay Abgao

Maasin City will be beneficial to the following people because of their role in the

community in which this study will come into effect.

Specifically, the following will benefit from the results of this case study:

The National Government and it’s local subsidiaries. They will benefit from this study

because they will get a real picture of how glitches in the system of their aid distribution

are causing uncertain feelings among their constituents just like Barangay Abgao. This

will move them into action and improve their aid distribution systems.

Future Lawmakers. They will be guided on how glitches in policy implementation can

affect the people they soon will serve.

People of Barangay Abgao. They will benefit from this study because they will become

aware about the systems and ways aids are being distributed. Thus, making them

involved in policy implementation.

Scope and Limitation

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 This study only limits to finding out the effects of the delays in the SAP

distribution in Barangay Abgao because of the fact that the delays in the distribution of

the SAP has been rampant in Barangay. The scope of the study will only be within

Abgao, Maasin City since a clear picture of the problem can be taken from the place. And

also the researcher of the study chose Barangay Abgao since it has a demographic profile

that suites the beneficiaries of Social Amelioration Program beneficiaries. This study will

run for 3-5 months.

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 DEFINITION OF TERMS

For better understanding and interpretation of this study, the following terms are

operationally defined.

SAP- is a cash Emergency Subsidy Program (ESP) for the Filipino families

whose lives are greatly affected by the ECQ. This is the independent variable of this

study.

SAP Beneficiaries- These are the target beneficiaries of the SAP distribution,

include senior citizens, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, single parents,

repatriated overseas Filipino workers, indigenous peoples, the homeless, farmers, fisher

folk, and those working under “no work-no pay” arrangements. They are also the subject

and the dependent variable of the study.

Slums- areas where majority of the SAP beneficiaries live. This kinds of areas

exists in Barangay Abgao.

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 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

This section describes the organization of the final report. Describe below many

chapters the report will have and what each chapter will contain.

Chapter1-Introduction. This chapter will contain the rationales of the study,

statement of the problem, research questions and significance of the study and definition

of terms.

Chapter 2-Theoretical Framework. For this chapter, it will have the review of

related literature, theoretical framework, and conceptual framework.

Chapter 3-Research Methodology. This chapter contains research environment,

research respondents, research instruments, and research procedures.

Chapter 4-Presentation, Analysis, and Interpretation of Data. This chapter will

contain the findings of the study. It will have the results and discussion based on the

research questions.

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 Chapter 5-Summary, Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations. This chapter

will provide the summary of the study, major findings, conclusions, and

recommendations.