MANILA—A separate city amelioration crisis assistance fund of P1,000 will be given to more than 500,000 families in Manila amid the extended Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine starting Tuesday.
This was disclosed by Mayor Isko Moreno who said those who were still waiting for their food packs would be prioritized for the city-initiated aid in this time of Covid-19 pandemic.
The mayor vowed to give everything that the city has and urged all functionaries and frontliners of the city charged in responding to the mounting crisis like the local social welfare office and barangay officials to give their all and leave no body unattended. “Mayaman ka man o mahirap, o middle class, pagsapit ng alas dose ng umaga at oras ng hapunan ay kakalam din ang sikmura. Kaya pakiusap ko na ibigay nyo na ang lahat na makakaya. Walang dapat maiiwan,” said the Mayor.
Moreno further said delivery of cash subsidy would be coursed through the barangays which started Tuesday morning. He had given all the trust and confidence to the barangay officials and preferred not to scrutinize the lists of beneficiaries they had submitted to the city. “Kailangan natin ang tiwala sa isa’t isa sa panahong ito”, he said in closing.
In a related development, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) already started rolling out the P8,000 financial aid under the social amelioration program on Monday in Manila after it was deferred from the original schedule of Friday, April 3.
The DSWD-National Capital Region had yet to coordinate with local authorities in Manila to ensure equal and systematic distribution of aid and social or physical distancing measures would be followed.
DSWD-NCR officials said full distribution would be done house-to-house to avoid congestion and disorder next week by their personnel and local government authorities.
Financial assistance under the social amelioration program will be given to low-income households, including senior citizens, persons with a disability, single parents, overseas Filipinos in distress, and pregnant mothers.
