NCR mayors urge DSWD, DOF to reinstate original number of COVID-19 aid target beneficiaries

Metro Manila mayors urged the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Department of Finance (DOF) to use their original lists of target beneficiaries for COVID-19 aid.

In a public briefing on Monday, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Celine Pialago said the Metro Manila Council (MMC) has issued a resolution last April 6 to address the issue.

According to her, the original total number of target beneficiaries of each local government unit was reduced to almost half upon the assessment of the DSWD.

This prompted the MMC to issue Resolution No. 20-07 Series of 2020.

“The MMC urged the DSWD-NCR and DOF to reinstate the original numbers of target beneficiaries of the 17 LGUs,” Pialago said.

“…Dahil halos nangalahati ang nakatanggap ng social amelioriation package. Alam naman po natin, sa kapangyarihan ng bawat mayors, mas alam at kilala nila ang nangangailangan sa kanilang lungsod,” she added.

On Sunday, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto revealed that only 93,000 out of the over 206,000 beneficiaries that the local government listed for Social Amelioration Program were approved to receive the aid.

"Ang pamilya na nangangailangan sa Pasig City, hindi nga lang po ‘yung original na 206,000, maaaring ang bilang na ito ay umabot 260,000,” Mayor Sotto said.

DSWD’s COVID-19 aid aims to distribute up to P16,000 in two months to 18 million low income families nationwide with a budget of P200 billion.

The 18 million target beneficiaries of DSWD and DOF were based on a 2015 census. —KG, GMA News