Still no pandemic cash aid for 13 M poor families, says lawmaker

MANILA, Philippines — Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate on Friday said over 13 million poor families have not received financial subsidy and decried the government’s slow response amid the  coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

WAITING FOR AID – Beneficiaries of the government’s cash aid program gather at a mall parking lot in Lucena City on Tuesday.. —ALLAN LLANETA/Contributor

“Ang implementation ng social amelioration program (SAP) ay nanatiling mabagal at halos 13 milyong mahihirap ang hindi pa rin nakakatanggap ng ayuda mula sa pamahalaan,” Zarate said in an online Labor Day protest.

(The implementation of the social amelioration program is still slow as 13 million families have not received their cash aid from the government.)

Bayan Secretary-General Renato Reyes echoed Zarate’s call to speed up the financial aid, saying the government should ensure assistance to the poor and respect for human rights during the “new normal” as the COVID-19 crisis continues.

“Ang new normal na hinahangad natin ay may tulong sa mahihirap at paggagalang sa karapatang pantao,” Reyes said during the online protest.

(The new normal that we want is help for the poor and respect for human rights.)

The SAP, which was mandated under the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act of 2020, was aimed at helping about 18 million families reeling from the economic consequences of the enhanced community quarantine imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The low-income families will receive a financial subsidy of from P5,000 to P8,000 depending on the minimum wage in their region.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said it is extending the deadline of distribution of cash assistance for poor families.

The DILG previously ordered local government units to finish the distribution of SAP benefits by April 30.

GSG