QC Mayor Belmonte laments 15-day deadline for cash aid distribution

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Thursday lamented the 15-day deadline set for the local government units to distribute cash assistance to residents considering the size of population in her city.

At the Laging Handa briefing, Belmonte raised her concern on how they will maintain social distancing during the distribution when the local government was being rushed to finish the payout.

“Paano tayo magme-maintain ng maayos na social distancing kung minamadali naman tayong tapusin itong pagbibigay ayuda sa loob ng 15 days” she said.

(How could we maintain proper social distancing if we are rushed to finish the distribution of cash assistance within 15 days.)

“Hindi iniisip ang laki ng lungsod ay iba doon sa ibang mga lungsod. Sana i-consider ito ng national government. 'Yan lang po ang aking apela,” she added.

(The population of the city was not taken into consideration. I hope the national government would look into this. That’s my appeal.)

On Thursday, reports said some residents in Metro Manila, including Quezon City, spent long hours in line to claim the cash aid from the national government amid the enhanced community quarantine.

Distribution in some areas reportedly started later than scheduled and some local government workers failed to accommodate the volume of people who trooped to the venues.

In Barangay Batasan Hills in Quezon City, the distribution started at 4 p.m. on Wednesday and lasted the whole night. In Barangay Old Balara, the distribution of cash assistance to Wednesday batch of beneficiaries was finished around 5 a.m. on Thursday.

Reports said Barangay Batasan Hills did not issue a list of beneficiaries who can claim their cash aid on the specific day. Due to this, many people went to the venue to make it before a cutoff.

Due to crowding, the people failed to observe social distancing.

Belmonte said they will issue stubs to beneficiaries to limit the number of people at 2,000 per day.

A beneficiary said she waited 16 hours in line only to learn that she was not included in the list. Another resident was expecting a P4,000 payout because they have four members in the family but she only received P2,000.

According to Belmonte, the local government is guided by the list from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

She pointed out that the amount of cash assistance that will be given to a resident will be based on the number of the dependents, which was indicated in the list of the DSWD.

Belmonte reminded that residents who are not in the list can raise their concern to the grievance committee of the barangay so they will be added to the list.

The cash assistance program will give P1,000 per individual with a maximum of P4,000 per family.

The government allocated P22.9 billion for the assistance program for the residents of National Capital Region, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal who were affected by the implementation of ECQ.—AOL, GMA News