Beneficiary database, guidelines on P5k-P8K aid still being finalized

MANILA, Philippines — The government is still finalizing the database on the list of families to benefit from the emergency P5,000 to P8,000 subsidy as Luzon remains under a month-long quarantine to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The Department of Finance (DOF) is currently working with the technical working group of the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) on the government’s COVID-19 response for the submission of the budget augmentation requests to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and for the mapping of family beneficiaries based on a consolidated database.

This was according to President Rodrigo Duterte’s first weekly report to Congress on the implementation of the “Bayanihan To Heal As One Act” which granted him extra powers to deal with the outbreak.

“The DOF will provide technical assistance to the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) in forming a consolidated database that will host COVID-19 social amelioration programs,” report read.

“The database will be derived from existing beneficiary lists submitted by government agencies and LGUs (local government units), and will be used to determine the subsidy amounts for household beneficiaries,” he added.

The report stated that the task force has already approved a joint memorandum circular for the implementation guidelines of the Emergency Subsidy Program (ESP).

The operational guidelines for the implementation of the said program would be released on Wednesday (April 1), the report noted.

Under the program, low-income household beneficiaries will receive cash or non-cash subsidy amounting to P5,000 to 8,000 each month for two months.

Earlier, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said social amelioration programs have already started with the distribution of financial aids from DOLE to displaced workers.

/MUF