Four million poor households will be added to the list of the beneficiaries of the government’s emergency subsidy program upon the order of President Duterte, Malacañang announced yesterday.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the President wanted to provide assistance to more people affected by the quarantine restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The government earlier launched a P200-billion subsidy program for 18 million low income families for the months of April and May. The relief distribution however has been marred by complaints of slow distribution and discrepancies in list of beneficiaries, among others.
“Dati 18 million lang dapat ang pagbibigyan, naging desisyon ni Presidente lahat po ng nangangailangan dapat bigyan so nadagdagan pa po ‘yang 18 million na ‘yan ng kung di ako nagkakamali, something like four million pa,” Roque said.
“‘Yan ‘yung figure na nagugutom based on current data at hindi ‘yung 2015 data pa. So isa pang naging problema po ‘yan kasi kinailangan maghabol ng mga pangalan,” he added.
Roque asked for public understanding over concerns on the slow distribution of financial assistance, assuring them of efforts to hasten the process. He noted that the government’s massive aid distribution to target beneficiaries during the coronavirus pandemic is “unprecedented.”
He said local government units have been given until May 7 to complete the first tranche of the subsidy distribution.
The second batch of aid distribution must commence afterwards.
“Inaasahan namin dahil itong parating na buwan na ito, pangalawang buwan, na maiiwasan ang ganitong aberya at inaasahan namin na sa lalong mabilis na panahon ay maibigay ang kabuuan na first tranche sa lahat ng dapat makatanggap nito,” he said.
Local government units were originally directed to finish the distribution of the financial aid to poor households last April 30 but some problems occurred along the way. They have been given a seven-day extension by the Department of Interior and Local Government to complete the task. (Genalyn Kabiling)