Duterte approved funds for P1,000 to P4,000 cash aid for 80% of NCR population —Go

August 3 ------ President Rodrigo Duterte approved on Monday night the funding for the cash aid to be given to 80% of the population of the National Capital Region as the region is set to be placed under enhanced community quarantine on August 6, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go announced. The cash assistance will be P1,000 per individual or a maximum of P4,000 per household belonging to the low-income group.

"Nagpapasalamat ako kay Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa pagtugon sa ating apela na magbigay ng ayuda sa mga pinakamahihirap na maaapektuhan ng ECQ sa NCR simula Agosto 6 hanggang 20," Go, Duterte's longtime aide, said in a post on Facebook. "Ngayong gabi ay inaprubahan na po niya ang pondo para sa financial assistance na ipapamahagi na nagkakahalaga ng isang libong piso kada kwalipikadong indibidwal sa NCR, na may maximum na apat na libong piso kada household," he added.

The cash assistance will be given to at least 10.8 million people in NCR, which is 80% of the 13-million population in Metro Manila. "Mahigit 13 milyon ang populasyon sa NCR at 80% nito o mahigit 10.8 milyong indibidwal ang mabibigyan natin ng ayuda ayon sa DBM, NEDA, at iba pang mga ahensya," Go said. The senator urged local government units to ensure the cash assistance will be given to qualified beneficiaries in a timely and orderly manner. "Dahil direktang ida-download ang mga pondo sa mga LGUs sa NCR, ang apela ko naman sa mga lokal na pamunuan ay siguraduhing maibibigay kaagad ang ayuda sa mga tamang benepisyaryo sa isang maayos, mabilis at ligtas na paraan na walang katiwalian," Go said.

The senator said the cash assistance will benefit those to be greatly affected by the restrictions during ECQ, especially daily wage earners who will not be able to work during that time. "Sa pamamagitan ng ayudang ito, matutulungan natin ang mga mahihirap nating kababayan na maitawid ang kanilang pamilya habang apektado ang kanilang kabuhayan dahil sa ECQ, lalo na ang mga daily wage earners at mga 'isang kahig, isang tuka,'" Go said. Malacañang said Monday that low-income residents of the NCR will receive P1,000 to P4,000 cash aid due to the region going under ECQ amid the COVID-19 pandemic from August 6 to 20.

"Walang ECQ kung walang ayuda (No ECQ if there is no cash assistance)," presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said. "Sigurado may ibibigay na P1,000 per person and maximum of P4,000 per family. Hindi pa lang sigurado saan kukunin," he added. Due to the threat of the Delta variant of the coronavirus, NCR will be under ECQ from August 6 to 20. Under ECQ only essential trips and services are allowed. Only authorized persons outside residence (APOR) will be allowed to go out of their homes.

Meanwhile, the NEDA said the Philippine economy will lose hundreds of billions of pesos while hundreds of thousands of jobs are at stake for each week that Metro Manila — the country’s economic center — is under the strictest quarantine classification. “Each week of ECQ in NCR will cost the economy P105 billion,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said, citing latest estimates from the NEDA. “Also increase[s] poor people by up to 177,000 and 444,000 more without jobs,” Chua said.

Source: gmanetwork.com