(Eagle News)–The Palace on Saturday, May 23, directed the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases to include an additional five million households as beneficiaries of the second tranche of cash aid under the Social Amelioration Program.
The directive was contained in a memorandum signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, dated May 22.
According to the Palace, the five million eligible households would be added to the 12 million beneficiaries under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
While it was “natural” most beneficiaries would come from areas under an enhanced community quarantine, “household beneficiaries most affected by the continuing restrictions in the operation of certain industries and sectors in areas under a general community quarantine may still be considered,” the Palace said.
The DSWD, in coordination with the Department of Information and Communications Technology and National Privacy Commission, were also directed to expedite the creation of the online portal containing the list of eligible household beneficiaries.
“The online portal must include a mechanism to receive feedback from the public to assist the government in assessing its performance in delivering the assistance, determining in whether an investigation against specific persons is necessary, and identifying persons and areas that were not covered,” the Palace said.
Around 18 million households were targeted to receive monthly cash subsidies amounting to P5,000 to P8,000 for two months under the Bayanihan We Heal as One Act.
President Rodrigo Duterte later ordered the inclusion of five million families as beneficiaries of the program.
