MANILA, Philippines — Mayors in the National Capital Region (NCR) have called on the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Department of Finance (DOF) to “reinstate the original number of target beneficiaries” in Metro Manila for the social amelioration program.
The Metro Manila Council (MMC) has issued Resolution No. 20-07-2020 to formalize their appeal after DSWD and DOF.
“The DSWD-NCR and the DOF initially provided the number of target beneficiaries of the 17 Metro Manila Local Government Units for purposes of the distribution of social amelioration packages in connection with the COVID-19 enhanced community quarantine but such number was later reduced,” read the resolution that was made public on Tuesday.
“The (MMC) urges the DSWD-NCR and/or the DOF to reinstate the original number of target beneficiaries of the 17 Metro Manila Local Government Unit for purposes of the distribution of social amelioration packages in connection with the COVID-19 enhanced community quarantine,” it added.
Earlier, some local government units aired their concerns over the apparent discrepancies in their list and the DSWD list of poor families.
The government’s social amelioration program aims to help low-income households affected by the strict quarantine imposed due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.