Low-income households will be receiving between P5,000 to P8,000 in cash under the Philippine government’s coronavirus relief program, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said on Thursday, April 2.
The cash will be given along with the food packs it is distributing to beneficiaries, according to DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista.
“In cash na ang matatanggap nila para makumpleto yung designated amount sa kanilang region. Hindi na ito magiging combination ng food packs at cash amount (They will receive it in cash so that the designated amount will be completed per region. It will not be a combination of food packs and the cash amount),” he said.
He added, “Ibig sabihin, kung bibigyan sila ng tatlong package ng food packs which cost more than P1,000, hindi ito ibabawas sa designated amount per region (This means that if they receive, for instance, three food packages which cost more than P1,000, this amount will not be deducted from the cash assistance designated per region).”
However, Bautista noted that the agency needs a minimum of three days to process the cash aid.
“Minimum of three days yon, kaya na po iyon (that can be done),” he said.
He added that the DSWD has already coordinated with the local government units (LGUs) to get the list of beneficiaries.
Earlier, the agency said social amelioration card (SAC) forms will be distributed by LGUs to their constituents to be filled up with the required information, including personal information, monthly income, nature of work, and the like.
This will serve as a validation tool to see whoever needs the assistance the most.
“Dito na ngayon yung isang critical, magkakaroon ng validation, sisiguraduhin natin na yung mga target beneficiary ay talagang credible at talagang sila yung nakasaad sa social amelioration card (This is critical; there will be validation to ensure that the target beneficiaries are credible and they are really the ones in the social amelioration card),” said Bautista.
President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act on March 24, granting him special powers to address the COVID-19 threat in the country.
Under the law, P200 billion will be allocated to low-income households affected by the enhanced community quarantine enforced in Luzon.
“We have allotted P200 billion for low-income households who are badly affected by the current crisis. Sila ang nasa informal sector (They are the ones in the informal sector) and those who live day to day on subsistence wages or no work no pay,” Duterte said March 30.
