Low-income families in GCQ areas will still receive cash subsidy in May —DSWD

Low-income families who live in areas where the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) will be lifted will continue to receive emergency cash assistance from the government this May, Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista said Monday.

During the Laging Handa briefing, Bautista said those who received cash grants in April will still be the beneficiaries of the cash assistance for the month of May, regardless whether their area will only be under a general community quarantine by May 1.

"Batay sa umiiral na panuntunan kung sino ang mga makakatanggap, kung sino ang nakatanggap nung first tranche ay sila rin ang benepisyaryo para sa buwan ng Mayo. Dalawang buwan ipapatupad ang SAP (Social Amelioration Program)," he said.

Under the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act, around 18 million low-income households belonging to the informal sector will be targeted to receive monthly emergency subsidies amounting to P5,000 to P8,000 for April and May.

Bautista pointed out, however, that the downloading of the emergency cash subsidy funds to local government units will depend on whether they have already submitted a liquidation report for the cash grants distributed in April.

The Cabinet official also said the inter-agency technical working group on the Social Amelioration Program is currently in talks to come up with the proposed guidelines on the distribution of the cash subsidies after President Rodrigo Duterte extended the ECQ in some areas until May 15.

"Kailangan kasi namin ng approval ng IATF dahil doon mag-a-anchor 'yung guidelines ng gagawin namin. Subalit sinisiguro namin na ang guidelines na ito ay aligned or consistent sa sinasaad ng RA 11469 (Bayanihan Law)," he said.

Bautista also assured that the funding for the emergency cash subsidy is enough to support the intended beneficiaries even as the ECQ in some areas is extended.

"Sakop ng implementasyon ng SAP ang buwan ng Mayo kaya naman ngayong extended ang enhanced community quarantine sa maraming lugar, makakaasa ang ating mga kababayan na patuloy na apektado ng crisis na meron silang matatanggap na tulong mula sa pamahalaan," he said.

As of April 26, Bautista said more than 7.3 million beneficiaries have already received assistance under the Social Amelioration Program, amounting to around P37 billion already.

Likewise, almost 97.13% of the funds have already been transferred to LGUs, he added.

"Simultaneously, nationwide at tuluy-tuloy ang implementasyon ng Social Amelioration Program na ginagawa ng ating local na pamahalaan kasama ang AFP, PNP, DSWD at DILG," Bautista said. —KG, GMA News