Some cash aid beneficiaries in NCR endure 10-hour wait

Some beneficiaries in a Quezon City barangay waited in line for around 10 hours overnight to claim their government cash subsidy under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) on Wednesday, the eve of the deadline for the distribution.

According to James Agustin's report on Unang Balita, Melanie Fernando waited for 10 hours at the Old Balara Elementary School in Barangay Matandang Balara.

“Nakakapagod, gutom. Lahat, halo-halo. Salamat naman nakakuha kami ng ayuda,” she said.

Women who will claim the emergency cash subsidy were scheduled at 4 p.m. while men were scheduled at 10 p.m. on Tuesday. But around midnight both groups were still waiting in line, which reached Commonwealth Avenue.

“Kino-consider namin ‘yung safety ng mga babae na baka abutin sila ng medaling araw, na baka merong nag-aabang diyan na masamang loob,”  barangay captain Allan Franza said.

Selustia Millan, who waited nine hours in the line, said she can endure the slow process because the subsidy will help her family especially she is a single mother.

“Importante sa aking mga anak kasi wala na akong asawa. Kaya kahit ganito, pinagtitiisan ko talaga,” Millan said.

Around 7 a.m. on Wednesday, some 500 beneficiaries were still waiting in line to claim the subsidy, which was dedicated for households affected by the enhanced community quarantine implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Ang problema lang namin ay may pagkakataon kasi na hindi makontrol ang crowd,” local revenue collection officer Domingo Sarmiento said.

For this batch, the local government is aiming to distribute the aid to 4,300 beneficiaries. More batches are set to receive the cash assistance by Thursday—the deadline for the SAP aid distribution.

In the video tweeted by Super Radyo dzBB’s Isa Avendano-Umali, beneficiaries in Baseco in Port Area, Maynila can be seen waiting in long line. Most of them have not eaten or slept just to stay in line.

On Wednesday, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año admitted that the National Capital Region (NCR) has the biggest problem in handing the assistance to qualified beneficiaries.

"Among other LGUs, NCR lang talaga 'yung malaking problema kasi kanila 'yung pinakamaraming families, beneficiaries. In other LGUs, okay naman," Año said.

"[In] Metro Manila, we still have a lot of areas here na mahirap ibigay without actually sacrificing the physical distancing," he added.

The program in light of the COVID-19 impact aims to distribute aid of up to P16, 000 to 18 million low income families nationwide in two months with a budget of P200 billion.

Initially, the deadline of the SAP distribution was scheduled on April 30 but was extended to May 7, Thursday. --KBK, GMA News