ECQ-affected individuals to receive cash assistance

MANILA, Philippines – Some 22.9 million individuals or 80 percent of the low-income population in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal or the so-called NCR plus bubble, will receive P1,000 amelioration assistance from the national government for the duration of the one-week Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).

President Rodrigo Duterte approved Monday night the Supplemental Amelioration Program (SAP) of P1,000 per individual in areas under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), utilizing P23 billion government funds.

Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque Jr. said that as many as four individuals can receive the amelioration assistance per family. “Isang libo kada indibidwal, maximum apat na libo kada pamilya,” said Secretary Roque in a press briefing on March 30, 2021.

The Palace official presented the estimated breakdown of beneficiaries as follows: “Sa NCR ang bibigyan po ay 11.2 million, sa Bulacan 3 million, sa Cavite 3.4 million, sa Laguna 2.7 million, at sa Rizal ay 2.6 million. Ang suma total po 22.9 million beneficiaries sa halagang P22.9-B.”

The amelioration assistance, which was earlier recommended by Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, would be sourced from Bayanihan 2 and the 2021 budget. “Hindi naman kinakailangan ng bagong ayuda. Titingnan muna natin kung ano ang available sa Bayanihan 2 at saka sa 2021 budget. Ito po iyung katugunan sa naging suhestiyon ni Senator Go,” Roque quipped.

The budget for this will be downloaded directly to local government units (LGUs) to ensure immediate distribution to intended beneficiaries, said Sec. Roque. “Originally kasi the concern was dapat mapunta talaga sa pagkain yung ayuda. Pero we realized na sa panahon ng pandemya kinakailangan mas mabilis pero meron pa rin namang somehow leeway ang mga LGUs. … (K)ung ma-assure nila na mabilisan na in kind wala pong problema yun, pero kung bibili pa, matatagalan, well mas maganda pong i-cash na lang,” Secretary Roque said.

The intent is for the amelioration assistance to reach the intended beneficiaries the soonest possible time, Roque said. “Kaugnay nito, nagsabi ang DSWD na maglalagay sila ng grievance mechanism para matiyak na mabilis at transparent ang pamamahagi ng tulong sa mga benepisyaryo,” said Sec. Roque.

The subsidy is targeted to be released by the middle of April, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Wendel Avisado said.

Meanwhile, the Palace spokesperson and concurrent Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) spokesperson said that the possibility of extending the ECQ for another week is being carefully studied by the IATF. “Pero sinabi ko na po ito, another week or 2 weeks MECQ, yan po ay magiging absolute last resort,” Roque quipped.

He said that the most important aspect to consider now is the critical care capacity. He added that one of the reasons for the ECQ implementation is to prepare the healthcare system to treat those who will get the severe case of COVID-19.

Sec. Roque added that with the one week NCR plus bubble, plus one week ECQ, including the strict adherence to the minimum public health standards and the intensified case finding and symptom checking by the CODE Team, with intensified testing and isolation, the government is hoping that there would be no need to extend the ECQ.

— The Summit Express



3 Comments

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  1. Another budget na nman pra sa ayuda ...naku po sana mapunta tlga yan sa taong bayan at walang pipiliin kong sino pang mga tambay at tamad siya pa nakakatikim ng ayuda eh lahat nmn apektado...

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  2. Ako nga po hndi nakatanggap mula pa nong pinakaunang lock down pinipili nila ang binibigyan pano po ako.

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  3. bat ganun mga kapit bahay namin na bigyan pero kami wala.. sila nga walang mga anak at merong trabaho na bigyan. ngunit kami merong anak at walang trabaho hindi binigyan.. unfair nman

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