Sotto to DILG: Speed up distribution of cash aid
Published Apr 22, 2020 12:00 am
By Vanne Elaine TerrazolaÂ
Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Wednesday urged the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to act on the delay in the distribution of the cash aid to informal sector families as Luzon and other parts of country are placed under quarantine to stem the tide of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III
(Ali Vicoy / MANILA BULLETIN) Almost a month after the "Bayanihan to Heal as One" Act took effect, majority of the 18 million household-beneficiaries have yet to receive their P5,000 to P8,000 financial assistance from the national government. According President Duterte's fourth report to Congress on his implementation of the Republic Act No. 11469, said more than P73.8 billion, or 91 percent of the P100-billion fund initially allocated for the emergency subsidy program, has been downloaded to LGUs for distribution. Despite this, only 24 percent or some 4.3 million families have received their emergency subsidy from the government as of April 18. Most of them are 4Ps beneficiaries, while 617,141 are non-4Ps beneficiaries. Sotto believes that executive department has been doing its "best effort" to deliver the cash assistance, and that "there are just some local issues that take time to execute." In an interview over DZMM, he said the delay remains to be "one of the headaches" in the implementation of the social amelioration program. He noted that while some local government units (LGUs) for have taken the initiative to speed up the aid for their constituents, "meron ding talagang may kabagalan, katulad ng meron pang mga MOA na pinaguusapan dito (there are LGUs that are really slow, such as those that still discuss agreements before distributing the aid)." He said he hopes the DILG Secretary Eduardo Año will prod local officials to speed up the delivery of the relief to indigent households. "Kailangan ng kaunting sipag para sa local level...Kakalampagin pa namin ang DILG rito at kailangan siguro, baka pati yung Committee on Local Government ng Senado, ay medyo mas kumilos pa," he appealed. Sotto said the Senate will prepare a "counter-report" on the status of the emergency subsidy program based on reports they receive on ground. The report, he said, will be forwarded to the President for his information and action. Under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, 18 million low-income households shall receive subsidy worth P5,000 to P8,000 for two months, while the government implements measures to contain the COVID-19 in the country.
Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III(Ali Vicoy / MANILA BULLETIN) Almost a month after the "Bayanihan to Heal as One" Act took effect, majority of the 18 million household-beneficiaries have yet to receive their P5,000 to P8,000 financial assistance from the national government. According President Duterte's fourth report to Congress on his implementation of the Republic Act No. 11469, said more than P73.8 billion, or 91 percent of the P100-billion fund initially allocated for the emergency subsidy program, has been downloaded to LGUs for distribution. Despite this, only 24 percent or some 4.3 million families have received their emergency subsidy from the government as of April 18. Most of them are 4Ps beneficiaries, while 617,141 are non-4Ps beneficiaries. Sotto believes that executive department has been doing its "best effort" to deliver the cash assistance, and that "there are just some local issues that take time to execute." In an interview over DZMM, he said the delay remains to be "one of the headaches" in the implementation of the social amelioration program. He noted that while some local government units (LGUs) for have taken the initiative to speed up the aid for their constituents, "meron ding talagang may kabagalan, katulad ng meron pang mga MOA na pinaguusapan dito (there are LGUs that are really slow, such as those that still discuss agreements before distributing the aid)." He said he hopes the DILG Secretary Eduardo Año will prod local officials to speed up the delivery of the relief to indigent households. "Kailangan ng kaunting sipag para sa local level...Kakalampagin pa namin ang DILG rito at kailangan siguro, baka pati yung Committee on Local Government ng Senado, ay medyo mas kumilos pa," he appealed. Sotto said the Senate will prepare a "counter-report" on the status of the emergency subsidy program based on reports they receive on ground. The report, he said, will be forwarded to the President for his information and action. Under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, 18 million low-income households shall receive subsidy worth P5,000 to P8,000 for two months, while the government implements measures to contain the COVID-19 in the country.