COVID-19 aid: North Samar town to give P1,500 per family but expects ‘well-to-do’ to turn it down

TACLOBAN CITY — The town of Palapag in Northern Samar province will start after Holy Week distributing P1,500 in cash each to more than 9,300 families as a form of aid during COVID-19 quarantine measures.

Officials of the town, however, said “well-to-do” families were expected to turn down the cash aid.

Jeremy Evardone, municipal disaster risk reduction officer of Palapag, said the local government decided to distribute cash to let the people “decide what they want to buy as their immediate needs during this time.”

The municipal government also promised to distribute food packs starting in May. At least P2 million had already been set aside for this, Evardone said.

The P1,500 in cash aid was already ready for release to families, he said.

Evardone added that the municipal council may have to pass another resolution to determine what to do with the cash aid that well-to-do families would waive.

Palapag, a third-class municipality with more than P100 million in annual income and a population of more than 39,000, is under general community quarantine which prevented people from leaving their houses.

Edited by TSB