Gov't to prioritize indigent senior citizens in distribution of aid
Published Apr 6, 2020 12:00 am
By Genalyn Kabiling
The government will prioritize the distribution of financial aid to indigent senior citizens over those already receiving private pension, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said on Monday.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles (Photo from Karlo Nograles / Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN)
Nograles clarified that pensioners belonging to well-off families will be excluded from the government's two-month emergency subsidy program during the coronavirus quarantine period.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) recently started distributing cash subsidy to low-income families in line with the Bayanihan law signed by President Duterte.
"'Yung senior citizens are excluded, siguro ito yung mga senior citizens na may natatanggap na pension. Kung may pension sila, then of course, I'm not talking about social pension, may tinatanggap na pension benefits noong sila pa nagtatrabaho o pension benefits from other sources, ang uunahin na senior citizens siyempre 'yung mga indigent, indigent senior citizens, 'yung senior citizens na tumatanggap na social pension mula sa DSWD (On reports senior citizens are excluded, maybe these are the senior citizens receiving pension. If they have pension, then of course, I'm not talking about social pension, but pension benefits when they were working or pension benefits from other sources, we will prioritize indigent senior citizens, those receiving social pension from the DSWD),” Nograles said during the virtual press conference Monday.
"Siguro kaya may na-e-exclude na senior citizens dahil yun ang mga senior citizens na mayroom namang natatanggap na pension na hind social pension ng DSWD) The senior citizens have been excluded because they are senior citizens receiving pension, but not the social pension from the DSWD)," said Nograles, spokesman of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
President Duterte recently launched the P200-billion emergency subsidy program for 18 million low-income households to help them cope with the impact of the coronavirus lockdown. The subsidy, ranging from P5,000 to P8,000, will depend on the minimum wage of a region.
The target beneficiaries are low-income families with at least one member belonging to vulnerable sectors such as senior citizens, persons with disability, pregnant or lactating women, OFWs in distress, indigent indigenous peoples, underprivileged sector and homeless citizens, and informal economy workers.
According to Nograles, the emergency subsidy program aims to help the "poorest of the poor" cope with the latest public health crisis. Well-off families, however, will not be part of these financial aid program, according to Nograles.
"When you count 18 million families, they are the most in need. Hindi na namin sinama 'yung may kaya. 'Yun lamang nahihirapan, yun lang sa informal sector, 'yung mga no work-no pay (We did not include the well-off families. Only those who are suffering, the informal sector, those who are no work-no pay)," he said.
"Kung pamilya mo may kaya naman, hindi kayo nabibilang. Alam ninyo naman kung kayo ba ay nabibilang sa poorest of the poor, the marginalized, yung mga nahihirapan yung mga kababayan natin na nangangailangan ng tulong ng gobyerno. Sila ang dapat natin tulungan (If you family is well-off, you will not be part of this. You know if you belong to the poorest of the poor, the marginalized, our poor countrymen in need of government help. We should help them)," he said.
Nograles also made clear that a low-income family may receive only one financial grant from the government.
He cautioned against cheating one's way into getting more than one cash subsidy. He said authorities will closely monitor any anomaly or discrepancy in the distribution of the aid.
"Kung may dayaan po tayong nakikita gaya niyan, isang bahay, tatlong social amelioration card or yung iba hindi pinayagan dahil hindi ninyo kaalyado, kung hindi kayo mahuhuli ngayon, mahuhuli rin kayo eventually (If there will be fraud where one household gets three social amelioration cards or some are given because they are your allies, if you will not be caught today, you will be caught eventually)," he said.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles (Photo from Karlo Nograles / Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN)
Nograles clarified that pensioners belonging to well-off families will be excluded from the government's two-month emergency subsidy program during the coronavirus quarantine period.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) recently started distributing cash subsidy to low-income families in line with the Bayanihan law signed by President Duterte.
"'Yung senior citizens are excluded, siguro ito yung mga senior citizens na may natatanggap na pension. Kung may pension sila, then of course, I'm not talking about social pension, may tinatanggap na pension benefits noong sila pa nagtatrabaho o pension benefits from other sources, ang uunahin na senior citizens siyempre 'yung mga indigent, indigent senior citizens, 'yung senior citizens na tumatanggap na social pension mula sa DSWD (On reports senior citizens are excluded, maybe these are the senior citizens receiving pension. If they have pension, then of course, I'm not talking about social pension, but pension benefits when they were working or pension benefits from other sources, we will prioritize indigent senior citizens, those receiving social pension from the DSWD),” Nograles said during the virtual press conference Monday.
"Siguro kaya may na-e-exclude na senior citizens dahil yun ang mga senior citizens na mayroom namang natatanggap na pension na hind social pension ng DSWD) The senior citizens have been excluded because they are senior citizens receiving pension, but not the social pension from the DSWD)," said Nograles, spokesman of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
President Duterte recently launched the P200-billion emergency subsidy program for 18 million low-income households to help them cope with the impact of the coronavirus lockdown. The subsidy, ranging from P5,000 to P8,000, will depend on the minimum wage of a region.
The target beneficiaries are low-income families with at least one member belonging to vulnerable sectors such as senior citizens, persons with disability, pregnant or lactating women, OFWs in distress, indigent indigenous peoples, underprivileged sector and homeless citizens, and informal economy workers.
According to Nograles, the emergency subsidy program aims to help the "poorest of the poor" cope with the latest public health crisis. Well-off families, however, will not be part of these financial aid program, according to Nograles.
"When you count 18 million families, they are the most in need. Hindi na namin sinama 'yung may kaya. 'Yun lamang nahihirapan, yun lang sa informal sector, 'yung mga no work-no pay (We did not include the well-off families. Only those who are suffering, the informal sector, those who are no work-no pay)," he said.
"Kung pamilya mo may kaya naman, hindi kayo nabibilang. Alam ninyo naman kung kayo ba ay nabibilang sa poorest of the poor, the marginalized, yung mga nahihirapan yung mga kababayan natin na nangangailangan ng tulong ng gobyerno. Sila ang dapat natin tulungan (If you family is well-off, you will not be part of this. You know if you belong to the poorest of the poor, the marginalized, our poor countrymen in need of government help. We should help them)," he said.
Nograles also made clear that a low-income family may receive only one financial grant from the government.
He cautioned against cheating one's way into getting more than one cash subsidy. He said authorities will closely monitor any anomaly or discrepancy in the distribution of the aid.
"Kung may dayaan po tayong nakikita gaya niyan, isang bahay, tatlong social amelioration card or yung iba hindi pinayagan dahil hindi ninyo kaalyado, kung hindi kayo mahuhuli ngayon, mahuhuli rin kayo eventually (If there will be fraud where one household gets three social amelioration cards or some are given because they are your allies, if you will not be caught today, you will be caught eventually)," he said.