PH military to help distribute cash aid in ‘problematic’ areas

MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines has offered to help the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to distribute the second tranche of cash subsidy to families stripped of incomes due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“There have been planning coordinations between the AFP and DSWD,” said AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo in a statement.

In this new task, the military will use its experience in distributing election materials during local elections, he said.

“The AFP shall provide the necessary assistance to the DSWD in the priority distribution of the SAP (social amelioration program) in identified problematic areas,” Arevalo said.

These “problematic areas” include:

• Where anomalies were reported;
• Geographically isolated barangays in far-flung and island municipalities;
• Locations where communist rebels and other threat groups prevent the orderly distribution of SAP

“This may affect our security operations only in terms of adjustments in our troops’ deployment but not enough to hamper operational success,” Arevalo said.

Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista said Tuesday that soldiers and policemen would be helping in the distribution of cash subsidy to the families hardly-hit by the health crisis.

The government has allotted P200 billion as cash assistance for 23 million households affected by the coronavirus pandemic. About P100 billion were distributed by local government units for the first tranche.

/atm