'NCR Plus' residents affected by ECQ to receive gov't aid —Palace

People whose livelihood would be affected by the weeklong enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the "NCR Plus" bubble will receive assistance from the government, Malacañang said Monday.

In an interview on Unang Balita, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the government has already identified the source of the fund that will be used in the assistance program.

"Meron na pong nauisapinal kung saan kukunin 'yung pera, wala nang problema, meron na tayong source ng pera [the source of funds has already been finalized, we already have a source of the funds]," he said.

Roque said he would announce the details of the assistance to be given during his regular noontime press briefing.

He also noted that there are only three working days during the ECQ week, as Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are non-working holidays.

The "NCR Plus" bubble -- or Metro Manila, Laguna, Bulacan, Cavite and Rizal -- will be under ECQ, the strictest status under the COVID-19 pandemic, from March 29 to April 4 amid the surge in the number of COVID-19 cases.

Vice President Leni Robredo has earlier appealed to authorities to distribute immediate relief aid to residents in areas to be affected by the ECQ.

Amid criticism that the government failed to adequately address the pandemic, Roque blamed the existence of various coronavirus variants in the high number of new infections in the recent weeks.

"Mabuti na lang po God is good at hindi mas nakamamatay ang mga variant na ito, pero ang hindi maitatanggi mas nakakahawa po. Hindi lang Pilipinas ang nag-iisa, sa buong mundo po talagang dumami ang kaso," he said.

(Thank God the new variants aren't deadlier but only more transmissible. The Philippines is not the only one, other countries are experiencing a surge in cases as well.)

Asked on the possibility of the ECQ being extended beyond April 4, Roque reiterated that the government is doing a tough balancing act of protecting public health and jumpstarting the economy.

"Alam natin na napakadami ngang nagkakasakit... pero tinitimbang po natin 'yan sa milyun-milyong karagdagang Pilipinong nagugutom kapag papatagalin natin ang ECQ, so binabalanse po nating mabuti," he said.

(We know that many people are getting sick, but we're also taking into consideration the fact that millions of Filipinos will go hungry if ECQ will be prolonged, so we're trying to balance it carefully.) —KBK, GMA News