Cavite governor fears ‘disaster’ in ECQ ‘ayuda’ distribution

Filipinos queue for cash subsidy from the government amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Batasan Hills, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, August 27, 2020. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez

MANILA, Philippines — Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla on Wednesday said the distribution of assistance for residents affected by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) could end up in “disaster” due to the supposed lack of enough mechanism to verify beneficiaries.

“Walang sapat na mekanismo para ma-VERIFY kung sino ang maaambunan sa PHP 1,000.00 to PHP 4,000.00 range. The end result? DISASTER,” Remulla lamented in a Facebook post.

(There isn’t enough mechanism to verify which beneficiary will be covered by the P1,000 to P4,000 range. The end result? DISASTER.)

“SAP (Social Amelioration Program) is needed. Sino ba naman ang hindi nangangailangan sa panahon na ito? Walang trabaho. Walang income. Walang diskarte. Walang kahit ano. Bokya lahat,” he also said.

(SAP is needed. Who wouldn’t need it at this time? There are no jobs. So source of income. Nothing. Everyone has nothing.)

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier approved the distribution of aid to individuals and households adversely affected by the reimposition of the ECQ – P1,000 per individual or no more than P4,000 per household.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said local government units (LGU) can either distribute the assistance in cash or in-kind.

But Remulla said “[e]veryone wants cash.”

“Everyone is demanding the [P4,000] maximum per household,” he added.

He asked residents for understanding on the distribution of the assistance.

“Ang Office of the Provincial Governor ay hindi kasama sa SAP distribution. Unawain ang Office of the Mayor dahil hindi madali ang inatas sa kanila,” he said.

(The Office of the Provincial Governor is not involved in the SAP distribution. I ask for understanding for the Office of the Mayor because the task given to them is not easy.)

“Huwag na po asahan na ang 2nd tranche from last year ay makukuha pa lalo’t walang kasiguraduhan ang ipinangakong 3rd.  Mahirap po sa amin ang kalbaryong ito ngunit kakayanin.  Kaunting unawa lamang po,” he added.

(Let’s not hope for a 2nd tranche of the assistance from last year, we can’t also assure the distribution of a 3rd tranche. This challenge is also hard for us. I ask for your understanding.)

Cavite, along with Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan and Laguna, is under ECQ until April 4.

The Department of Health, however, recommended a week-long extension of the ECQ. 

“Nothing is final and IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) works in a whole of government approach. There will be an assessment of the progress before ECQ ends,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said.

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