Palace: No cash aid to be given in areas under ‘GCQ bubble’

This file photo shows a man who just received his cash aid from the government in 2020. On Monday, March 22, 2021, Malacañang via presidential spokesman Harry Roque said no cash aid will be distributed to families and even businesses affected in areas placed under stricter general community quarantine (GCQ) or the GCQ “bubble” that consists of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna until April 4, 2021. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES

MANILA, Philippines — No cash aid will be distributed to families and even businesses affected in areas placed under stricter general community quarantine (GCQ) from March 22 to April 4 since the government is not restricting people to go to work, Malacañang said Monday.

“In terms of ayuda na gaya ng binigay natin sa ECQ (enhanced community quarantine), dahil hindi naman natin pinipigilan magtrabaho ang ating mga kababayan ay hindi na tayo dapat magbigay ng ganoong ayuda dahil pwede maghanap buhay ang lahat,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.

(In terms of aid given like in ECQ, we will not be giving aid since workers are not prohibited to go to work.)

He pointed out that the government has been supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises during the pandemic in the form of loans while the Department of Labor and Employment has been assisting workers who lost their jobs during the lockdown.

“Ang ginagawa natin ngayon ay hindi natin sinasarado ang industriya para makapagtuloy na magtrabaho ‘yung mayroon pang mga trabaho,” Roque said.

Meanwhile, local government units are giving cash aid as well as food packs to families affected by localized or granular lockdowns, he added.

The Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has placed Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, and Laguna under general community quarantine (GCQ) from March 22 to April 4.

Non-essential travel to and from the said GCQ “bubble” would not be allowed.

READ: No economic lockdown for now in Metro Manila, 4 provinces under GCQ — Roque

The government has likewise suspended the operation of the following businesses in the above-stated GCQ areas until April 4:

• driving schools
• traditional cinemas
• videos and interactive game arcades
• libraries
• archives
• museums and cultural events
• limited social events
• DOT-accredited establishments, except open-air tourist attractions

Mass gatherings, including those for religious purposes, will also be prohibited within the GCQ bubble.

Dining in enclosed spaces is also banned, while outdoor dining will be allowed. Further, the government discourages people from doing face-to-face meetings as it pushes for telecommuting and virtual meetings, and take-out and delivery of food items.

KGA