Senator Bong Go. FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The list of families to receive the emergency subsidy during the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon will first have to be certified by the local government units (LGUs) and reviewed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) before cash assistance can be given out.
This was according to Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, chair of the Senate health committee, who said that the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the recently signed “Bayanihan to Heal As One Act” is now being formulated.
Aside from giving special powers to President Rodrigo Duterte to combat the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the law also includes the granting of emergency subsidy worth P5,000 to P8,000 each household of around 18 million low-income earners across the country.
“Ang target po nito ay ito pong talagang nangangailangan ng tulong [Our target here is those who really need help]. Unang-una [First of all], target families should be profiled using the social amelioration card and should be included in the list of families that will be certified by the LGU,” Go said in an interview on dzMM on Wednesday.
“Pagkatapos po [Then] the LGUs shall prepare the list of the target beneficiaries and then the DSWD naman po shall review the said list, and documents determine the amount necessary for transfer,” he added.
Go said that the amount to be given to target beneficiaries would depend on the minimum daily wage in their respective area.
“Assistance will be given directly to the target beneficiaries, cash po ang dapat ibigay sa kanila para magamit po kagad. Good for two months po…Depende po sa minimum wage po sa lugar nila,” he explained.
(Assistance will be given directly to the target beneficiaries, it will be in cash so that they can immediately use it. It’s good for two months…It depends how much the minimum wage is in their area).
“Halimabawa po sa Metro Manila, kung mas malaki yung ating daily wage yung sweldo po, so P8,000. ‘Pag sa mga probinsya naman po, P5,000,” he further said.
(For example in Metro Manila, if the daily wage is higher, so that’s P8,000. In the province, P5,000).
To date, the Department of Health (DOH) has so far reported 552 COVID-19 cases in the country.
Of the number, 35 died while 20 patients have already recovered.
With the rise of cases in the country, the government has placed the entire Luzon under an enhanced community quarantine to contain the spread of the disease.
Under the month-long containment, most office work and mass public transportation in the entire Luzon, which includes the capital, Manila, have been suspended.
This measure means the implementation of a strict home quarantine will be implemented in all households; regulation of the provision for food and essential services; and a heightened presence of uniformed personnel to enforce quarantine.