Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City government is still waiting for the national government to release some P109 million representing a shortfall in the city’s allocation for its cash aid distribution amid the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) to cover the 25,000 lower-income beneficiaries who were affected.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte explained on Wednesday that the P2.37 billion cash aid for this two-week ECQ was P109 million less than the P2.48 billion previously given to them during the distribution of the cash assistance last April.
“Sabi naman sa amin ni Secretary Año, this was just an anomaly or a technical error kung kaya’t inapila po namin na sana ‘yung dating amount ‘yung P2.48 [billion] na dating binigay nu’ng Ayuda 1 ay maibigay na rin sa amin kasi ayaw namin mawalan ng ayuda yung 25,000 people na maaapektuhan kung mawala ‘yung P109 million na tinanggal nila sa amin,” Belmonte said over DZMM TeleRadyo, referring to Interior Secretary Eduardo Año.
(Secretary Año said that this was just an anomaly or a technical error that’s why we appealed to have the Ayuda 1 amount of P2.48 billion because we do not want 25,000 people to be affected due to the lower fund.)
The mayor said that they were expecting P2.48 billion as was promised to them.
According to Belmonte, the city government is also eyeing to serve 240,000 to 250,000 families.
Belmonte however admitted that the local government cannot finish the cash aid distribution within 15 days owing to the city’s immense population.
She said she has already appealed to authorities to extend the city’s disbursement to one week as she expects to finish the payout within 18 to 21 days.
“Based on Ayuda 1 experience, kahit na nagdi-distribute na kami ng mga 35,000 a day, on those days, ay hindi po kaya dahil sa laki ng populasyon natin at ayoko po talagang i-sacrifice ‘yung minimum health standards. So, hindi pa man nagsimula ay nag-apila na po ako sa mga authorities kung pwede sa Quezon City dahil sa laki ng population, madagdagan lang sana ng one week, so 21 days,” Belmonte said.
(Based on Ayuda 1 experience, even though we are distributing 35,000 a day, on those days, we cannot [finish it within 15 days] due to our population and I do not want to sacrifice the minimum health standards. So, I appealed to authorities if we could extend the cash aid payout in Quezon City for one week, so 21 days.)
The mayor likewise warned the residents to get their information from official sources as a fake message circulated this morning, urging the people to go to the Quezon Memorial Circle for the payout.
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