[ad_1]
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 13) – About 11 million families are expected to be included in the second tranche of the government’s COVID-19 cash assistance program, the Department of Social Welfare said on Wednesday.
Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista told CNN Philippines that “roughly” 11.1 million families in areas still under enhanced community quarantine will be included in the new list of beneficiaries of the social improvement program.
Bautista, however, said the agency is still waiting for an executive order before officials can draft final guidelines for the subsidy distribution. He added that authorities will also need to validate settlement reports from local government units before the next tranche is implemented, to ensure that the right beneficiaries receive aid.
For now, the DSWD chief said the agency is exploring other options that may help speed up the delivery of assistance to crisis-affected citizens, including the ability to take advantage of online platforms.
“Kaya nga, pinag-aaralan namin ‘yung sinasabi nating using other digital platforms for more mabilis at the same time, ‘yung walang contact sa pagbibigay ng helpBautista said in an interview with The fountain.
[Translation: That’s why we’re looking at what we call using other digital platforms so we can fast track the distribution, at the same time, there will be no contact in the distribution of the assistance.]Malacañang announced Tuesday that only residents of areas under the “modified” ECQ (Metro Manila, Laguna Province, and Cebu City) will be qualified in the next wave of subsidies, citing limited funds approved by Congress.
The first tranche of the government’s SAP initially covered 18 million low-income households, who were expected to receive between $ 5,000 and $ 8,000 in assistance. Roque later revealed that another five million beneficiaries who were left off the LGU lists would be included in the first batch of subsidy.
Barriers to SAP distribution?
Meanwhile, Bautista acknowledged criticism of the slow deployment of monetary aid in various regions, but noted that there were some obstacles to distribution.
Citing reports from staff on the ground, the Secretary of Social Welfare said that some high-risk areas have succumbed to a reduced workforce, as a single COVID-19 infection will put other people on the front lines under quarantine.
“Kaya ang nangyayari, pag na-infect iyon, mababawasan ang personal, Magkakaroon ngayon ng sabihin nating delay, “Bautista explained.
[Translation: When that happens, when someone gets infected, the workforce will be reduced, we will have what we call a delay.]He added that security problems such as encounters between the military and rebels also carry distribution programs to a later date.
In April, two soldiers escorting aid workers in Aurora province were killed by armed communist rebels. The report has won a new series of tirades from President Rodrigo Duterte, who has since warned against attacks by rebel groups amid the current health crisis.
RELATED: Duterte Offers $ 2 Million Reward For Arrest Of Top Leaders Of New People’s Army
In addition to these factors, Bautista added that the aid distribution schedule has also been affected by the revalidation of the beneficiary lists of some local governments.
Citing the latest DSWD report, Bautista said 16.5 million families have already received cash assistance, with ₱ 93.5 billion already released in the first tranche. It reported that 1,078 local government units have already reached the 100 percent completion rate in the distribution of subsidies.
Bautista added that SAP distribution will continue, even when the national government deadline has expired.
[ad_2]
