Hontiveros sees need for another emergency cash aid amid rising COVID-19 cases

Senator Risa Hontiveros believes the government should prepare for an emergency cash assistance to affected Filipinos even without the proposed Bayanihan 3 as cases of COVID-19 continue to rise.

In a statement, Hontiveros lamented the increasing number of unemployed Filipinos, which came at a time that the number of COVID-19 cases are on the rise.

The Philippine Statistics Authority earlier reported that the number of unemployed Filipinos rose by 1.6 million

Hontiveros said the workers will be the most affected sector by the reinstatement of curfews and stricter health protocols, hence this should prompt the government to provide another round of cash aid.

“The daily increase in the number of new cases is very alarming. We must anticipate and prepare for all possible scenarios, including mobility restrictions, especially now that Metro Manila mayors have already imposed curfews again,” she said.

Hontiveros suggested to economic managers to consider giving another round of cash subsidies to COVID-affected families.

One is to provide a second round of wage subsidies as proposed by the Department of Labor and Employment, which the senator said can be implemented without a Bayanihan 3 law in the same way that the Department of Finance provided the first round of wage subsidies.

Another way, she said, is to update the roster of the Department of Social Welfare and Development's Pantawid Pamilya, whose budget can be augmented for the thousands of new poor Filipinos who will be eligible for the program by next month when the Listahanan 3 validation process is done.

"Experts have already warned us. And we have already seen this before sa isang taon nating pakikipagbuno sa pandemya (in our one year bout with the pandemic)," Hontiveros said.

"Alam na natin kung saan ito papunta, kaya hindi pwedeng chill-chill lang. I can’t emphasize enough how badly our Kababayans need aid,” she added.

("We all know where this is heading, so we can't be complacent. I can't emphasize enough how badly our fellowmen need aid.") —Erwin Colcol/KBK, GMA News