FILE PHOTO: A resident of Baseco, Tondo, in Manila City on Wednesday, April 7, 2021, shows the financial assistance she received from the government, which extended the (ECQ) enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila and other nearby provinces from April 5-11, due to the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the National Capital Region. Philippine Daily Inquirer file photo / Niño Jesus Orbeta
MANILA, Philippines — Cash assistance worth P4.5 billion were distributed to beneficiaries in Metro Manila, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) announced Wednesday.
“Nasa 4,566,655 low-income individuals na po ang nakinabang sa ating ayuda at tuloy-tuloy pa rin po ang ating pagbibigay ng ayuda ng ating mga LGUs,” Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said in a statement, noting that the figure is as of August 16.
(Around 4,566,655 low-income individuals have already benefited from aid, and the payout conducted by LGUs is still ongoing.)
Local government units (LGUs) in the capital region have also received their request of an additional P368 million for the aid. With this, the P10.89 initial fund released was increased to P11.2 billion.
The P4.5 billion in cash aid is 40.57 percent of the P11.2 billion in cash aid allocated for Metro Manila.
Año meanwhile lauded NCR local government units for the “orderly and systematic” disbursement of the aid.
“We congratulate the NCR LGUs for an orderly and systematic distribution of Ayuda. We are doing distribution every day. We have not received any report of any untoward incident and our PNP is there to ensure that all minimum health standards are met,” Año said.
The cities of Caloocan, San Juan Mandaluyong, Taguig, and Makati got the highest percentage of cash aid released.
Año likewise lauded the cities of Parañaque, Muntinlupa, Caloocan, and Makati for adopting initiatives like electronic and bank-assisted options to hasten the payout.
Based on guidelines, the LGUs have 15 days or until August 25 to complete the aid payout to individuals affected by the enhanced community quarantine from August 6 to 20.
RELATED STORIES
DBM: 10.9 million Metro Manila folk to get dole
P12 billion for ‘ayuda’ not enough, legislators want more
Metro Manila ECQ ‘ayuda’ distribution starts on August 11 — MMC