Additional 5 million families to receive emergency cash aid – Palace

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte approved the inclusion of an additional five million low-income families to the beneficiaries of the government’s emergency financial subsidy program amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, Malacañang announced Tuesday.

“Hindi lang po 18 million ang mabibigyan gn SAP (Social Amelioration Program) sa first tranche, madadagdagan pa po ng 5 million,” Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque said in a televised Palace briefing.

But due to the limited funds, Roque noted that the second tranche of the emergency subsidy will only cover poor households in areas under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until May 15.

Under the SAP, 18 million poor families will be given a monthly cash aid of P5,000 to 8,000 for two months under a P200-billion budget.

Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, a Luzon-wide ECQ  has been enforced initially until April 15.

It was extended to April 30 and then to May 15 but areas with low risk to the virus infection have been removed from the lockdown.

To date, around 89 percent of qualified beneficiaries were able to receive first tranche of the subsidy, the DSWD claimed.

GSG