But Pres. Duterte directs DILG, DSWD to directly handle release of funds to indigents in one LGU after seeing chaos in vaccination before ECQ in city which he did not name
(Eagle News) — Malacanang said that funds for the low-income families and individuals that will be affected by the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila are ready for distribution tomorrow, Wednesday, Aug. 11.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the P10.894-billion are ready for distribution to the lower-income families. Each low-income family will be given a maximum of P4,000 each, while each individual will be given P1,000 each.
He said that the local government units have already been given the funds for the distribution to their low-income residents.
But Roque, on Tuesday, Aug. 10, said that based on President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive on Monday, Aug. 9, the distribution of national funds for “ayuda” or help in one LGU in Metro Manila, which he did not name, would be handled directly by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Roque said that President Rodrigo Duterte would just want to make sure that the funds would be distributed in an organized manner to the recipients in that LGU.
-Duterte explains why he lost confidence in LGU which he did not name-
On Monday night, Aug. 9, President Duterte directed DILG Secretary Eduardo Año to handle the distribution of “ayuda” in this city.
“Alam mo may isang siyudad ako dito na I ordered the — your department and itong [DSWD] na kayo na ang magbigay ng mga ayuda pati ‘yung mga kung anong maitulong sa national government sa local government units na walang alam, na hindi marunong mag-organize ng mga distribution and it only results in disorder. So tinanggal ko muna ‘yan sa kanila at ibinigay ko doon sa Department of Interior and Local Government pati ang DSWD,” he said.
“Kayo na muna hanggang matuto sila. Nakita naman ninyo, it’s on TV and all, na wala talagang kaalam-alam itong mga mayor na ‘to. So tanggalan natin muna ng itong pag — pamimigay, pag-distribute ng pera pati tulong ng gobyerno,” he said.
While Duterte and Roque did not name which LGU this was, earlier reports have shown the chaos in the vaccination areas in Manila just before the ECQ.
“Wala naman pong inaakusa, walang parusa. Ang sinisiguro lang ng presidente, maibigay ang ayuda sa pinakamaayos na pamamaraan,” Roque said in a press briefing on Tuesday, Aug. 10.
President Duterte had earlier gotten angry over reports of disorganized vaccination procedures where people waited under the rain, and where minimum public health standards such as social distancing have not been observed due to throngs of people that flocked to vaccination sites in particular LGUs.
-Palace says all 10.9M low-income individuals to get “ayuda” during ECQ-
Roque assured that all 10.9 million low-income individuals and families or the bottom 80 percent of the population of Metro Manila will receive cash aid from the national government for this round of ECQ in the National Capital Region from August 6 to 20, 2021.
On Monday, he said that these funds have been directly released or downloaded by the Bureau of Treasury last Friday, August 6, 2021 to concerned local government units (LGUs) through authorized government servicing banks.
“Nasa P10.894-B ang ini-release na financial assistance ng Department of Budget and Management (DBM) para sa affected individuals and households sa Metro Manila na inilagay sa ECQ,” said Secretary Roque in a press briefing on Aug. 9.
(Eagle News Service)
