Roque: Electronic distribution of cash aid to low income families limited to cities

The electronic distribution of the second tranche of social amelioration cash benefit for low income families will be limited to cities, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said Wednesday.

Roque was referring to the P5,000 to P8,000 cash aid for low income families amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with the amount depending on the minimum wage of each region.

“Sa ATM [po nila ilalagay] para hindi na po sila mag kumpol-kumpulan. I-wiwithdraw na lang po nila,” Roque said in an interview on GMA News' Unang Hirit.

“Itong electronic transfer, sa mga siyudad lang ito, kasi may mga probinsiya na mabibilis naman ang pagbibigay ng ayuda katulad noong mga nasa Region 1 at CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region),” Roque added.

Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rolando Bautista earlier said the funds for the second batch of the amelioration aid will now be distributed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police instead of the local government units.

The second batch of the said cash aid, however, will be limited to those residing in areas under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) where there is a ban on mass transport even if employees have been allowed to report for work.

Areas under MECQ include: the highly urbanized cities of the National Capital Region and municipality of Pateros; Bataan; Bulacan; Nueva Ecija; Pampanga including Angeles City; Zambales and Laguna.

The rest of the country are under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) and Modified GCQ where mass transport has resumed on a scaled down basis and 75% of the workforce per company are allowed to go to work, provided that physical distancing is observed.

Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez earlier warned that excluding low income families residing in areas under GCQ as qualified beneficiaries for the government’s cash aid amid the COVID-19 pandemic is a violation of the Bayanihan law.

Rodriguez cited that the Bayanihan law authorizes President Rodrigo Duterte to provide an emergency subsidy to around 18 million low-income households through a minimum of P5,000 to P8,000 a month cash aid for two months computed based on the prevailing regional minimum wage rates. — RSJ, GMA News