DILG won’t extend distribution of ‘ECQ aid’ in NCR Plus

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will no longer extend the distribution of cash aid to residents affected by the strict community quarantines in the so-called National Capital Region (NCR) Plus.

DILG Undersecretary and spokesman Jonathan Malaya said they have given local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila “more than ample time” to finish distributing the financial assistance on May 15.

Subsequently dubbed as “ECQ aid,” the giving of financial help came after the national government’s declaration of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the capital region as well as nearby provinces Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite from March 29 to April 12.

“We have not received any request for extension and according to [DILG] Secretary [Eduardo] Año, we will not grant any further extension because we have given them more than ample time to complete the distribution,” Malaya said during an interview with INQUIRER.net’s INQside Look.

According to him, the distribution of cash aid in Metro Manila was 75 percent done, which means over P8.4 billion of the assistance fund were already given to more than 8.4 million beneficiaries.

Malaya said that among LGUs in NCR, Caloocan City was leading in the cash aid distribution with 96.31 percent accomplishment, trailed by Quezon City with 94.96 percent, Mandaluyong City with 92.51 percent, and Navotas City with 90.68 percent.

Laguna, he also said, has already completed cash aid distributions to 81.29 percent of its total beneficiaries while Bulacan, Rizal, and Cavite have handed out the financial assistance to 67.22 percent, 64.61 percent, 57.82 percent of recipients, respectively.

“It’s progressing very well given that all have passed the halfway mark and some are on the 75 percent mark. We are confident that they will all be completed before [the May] 15 deadline,” Malaya said.

KGA