CASH CARD DISTRIBUTION. Beneficiaries of unconditional cash transfer (UCT) in Koronadal City receive their cash card from the Department of Social Welfare and Development - Region 12 (DSWD-12) on Saturday (March 5, 2022). Restituto Macuto, DSWD-12 director, said the cash card can be used by beneficiaries starting March 10, 2022. (Photo courtesy of DSWD-12) KORONADAL CITY - Beneficiaries of the unconditional cash transfer (UCT) program here can withdraw their cash grant starting March 10 using their cash cards, a regional social welfare official said Tuesday. In a statement, Restituto Macuto, the Department of Social Welfare and Development - Soccsksargen (DSWD-12) director, said this was based on a directive of the Land Bank of the Philippines. Over the weekend, Macuto said the DSWD-12 led the initial distribution of cash cards to 835 UCT beneficiaries at the South Cotabato Gymnasium and Cultural Center. "Each beneficiary has a withdrawable amount of PHP3,600," Macuto said. Sohra Guialel, DSWD-12 policy and plans division chief, said they have yet to give cash cards to other UCT beneficiaries in the region. "UCT members who haven't received yet their cash cards will just wait for the announcement of their respective local government units," Guialel said. The UCT program aims to give cash assistance to poor households to help them cope with the effect of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act in 2018. It is the biggest tax reform mitigation program under the law. Each UCT beneficiary will receive PHP200 per month for the first year and PHP300 per month for the succeeding years. The Soccsksargen region has at least 146,000 household UCT beneficiaries. (PNA) }