THE deadline for the distribution of the financial assistance for low-income families affected by the two-week imposition of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal have been extended, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año announced yesterday.
Año said local government units in the NCR Plus have until May 15 to complete the distribution of the P1,000 per person, or P4,000 per family. The original 15-day deadline set by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) lapsed on April 20.
The P22.9 billion fund for the government “ayuda” was downloaded to LGUs on April 5.
“Secretary (Delfin) Lorenzana, Secretary (Rolando) Bautista and I agreed to approve a one-time extension of up to May 15, 2021 to all LGUs,” Año said.
Lorenzana is the defense secretary and chairman of the National Task Force Against Covid-19, while Bautista is the secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
DILG undersecretary and spokesman Jonathan Malaya said the approved extension was relayed to Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benhur Abalos and Metro mayors during a meeting on Sunday night.
“This extension is a one-time extension only across all LGUs in the NCR Plus and will no longer be extended anew,” said Malaya.
Malaya said the extension would give LGUs more time to schedule the distribution and ensure the safety of beneficiaries through a combination of schemes such as house-to-house distribution, automated financial system, or designated public distribution points.
“It is very challenging to do distribution during a pandemic. Our LGUs cannot go full blast given the grave threat of COVID-19 so their request for more time is justified. They are making adjustments in their distribution because of the pandemic so they need more time,” said Malaya.
In NCR, Malaya said 51.64 percent or 5,769,852 out of the total 11.1 million beneficiaries have already received the cash aid. He said P5.769 billion out of the total P11.1 billion released to LGUs in Metro Manila have so far been distributed.
Malaya could not immediately say the pace of the distribution in the provinces of Bulacan, Laguna, Rizal and Cavite.
The DSWD reported that as of April 18, P7.47 billion worth of the P22.9 billion cash aid have already been given to 7,470,149 individuals or 32 percent of the targeted 22.9 million beneficiaries.
In Quezon City, Mayor Joy Belmonte said 560,000 families have already received aid amounting to P1.76 billion.
Belmonte said the city still needs to disburse about P700 million to about 280,000 families.
“From the P2.48 billion downloaded by the national government, we have disbursed P1.76 billion of this amount and we already helped 560,000. We’re targeting to help 840,000 families so we still have to help 280,000 families,” said Belmonte.
Belmonte said they could not meet the original deadline due to the size of the city and the “scope of work involved.”
