Palace: Gov’t fast-tracking list of families who will get P5K ‘Odette’ aid

TRAIL OF DESTRUCTION Typhoon “Odette” (international name: Rai) leaves a trail of destruction in Surigao City, the economic center of the Surigao provinces. —ERWIN M. MASCARIÑAS

MANILA, Philippines — The government is currently fast-tracking the list of families who will receive the P5,000 cash aid due to the effects of Typhoon Odette, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Cabinet Secretary and acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles said government agencies are aiming to finalize the list of beneficiaries within the day so that the downloading of funds could begin on Wednesday.

Families who are severely affected and severely hit by Typhoon Odette will receive the P5,000 cash assistance from the national government previously announced by President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Within the day, importante na ma-identify na ‘yung families na mabibigyan ng cash assistance. These are the most affected, severely affected families,” he said in a Palace briefing.

(It is important to identify within the day families that will receive the aid. These are the most affected, severely affected families.)

The distribution of the cash assistance will be similar to how the pandemic aid was released to Filipinos: Through local government units.

The government is eyeing to download the funds to the local government units by Wednesday, Dec. 29, so that families could already receive the aid.

“We will be relying on the speed and efficiency of the LGUs for the distribution,” Nograles said.

He added that aside from the identification of beneficiaries, the government, particularly the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), is currently looking for the source of the funds for the assistance.

“Minamadali na natin na ma-download within tomorrow [‘yung funds], within the day we will already be identifying sino ‘yung mga families that will benefit from the cash assistance,” he said.

(We are fast-tracking the process so that we will be able to download the funds tomorrow and within the day we are already identifying the families who will benefit from the cash assistance.)

President Duterte earlier said each family affected by Typhoon Odette would receive P5,000.

He said he would forego his holiday activities to provide financial assistance to areas hit by Odette.

The military and police would also refrain from going on holiday so that they can ensure that the distribution of grants will take place peacefully with health protocols observed due to COVID-19

According to the National Risk Reduction and Management Council, a total of 1,082,910 families were affected by Odette as it ravaged several provinces in Visayas and Mindanao from Dec. 16 to 18.

Aside from the cash aid, typhoon-hit families, totaling 97,500, will likewise receive P5,000 cash aid for shelter assistance, according to Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Eduardo del Rosario.

/MUF