Time to talk for nat’l gov’t, LGUs to hasten COVID-19 aid, says Cayetano

MANILA, Philippines — It’s high time for national agencies and local government units to talk to hasten the release of funds for low-income households affected by the coronavirus pandemic, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said Monday, as he lamented the slow implementation of the government’s social amelioration program (SAP) to aid the poor affected by coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Cayetano said that he himself has spoken with Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rolando Bautista to ask the side of the authorities and Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno for the side of the local government units (LGUs) to be able to identify possible chinks in the implementation of the program.

“It’s not to blame, to point fingers ‘mabagal dahil sayo, mabagal dahil dito, mabagal dahil doon’. It’s time to talk, usap lang nang usap para bumilis ito,” Cayetano said.

(It’s not to blame, to point fingers saying, ‘you are slow, it’s slow because of this.’ It’s time to talk, just talk so we can hasten this.)

Section 4 (c) of Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act states that there should be a provision for an emergency subsidy to around 18 million low income households in the country affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

The subsidy amounts to P5,000 to P8,000 a month for two months and is computed based on the “prevailing regional minimum wage rates.”

Asked if he thought the Duterte administration is doing enough to fight COVID-19 which has infected over 4,600 people in the country as of Sunday, April 12, Cayetano said he believes the President is doing everything he can.

“All over the world ang consensus is kahit anong ibuhos natin, hindi sapat because ‘yung nature ng COVID-19, napakatalino, napaka-deceptive, magaling mag-adapt, ibang klaseng kalaban ang COVID-19,” Cayetano said.

(All over the world the consensus is whatever we do, it would not be enough because of the nature of COVID-19. It’s very deceptive and can adapt, COVID-19 is a different kind of enemy.)

“But sa Kongreso, every week tinitignan namin ang report, naniniwala kaming binubuhos ng Pangulo ang lahat ng puwedeng gawin ng gobyerno,” he added.

(But in Congress, every week we are checking his report. We believe the President is doing everything that the government can do.)

As of Sunday, the DOH said there are 4,648 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country, with the death toll reaching 297.

EDV