By Minerva Newman
TAGBILARAN CITY—The Province of Bohol allocated some P150 million for relief food for its 300,000 households all over the province in addition to the much bigger funds to assist farming, other food-producing occupations and the micro-small-medium enterprises (MSMEs), and P924,000 as aid to stranded Boholanos in other places due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown.
Former Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary and Bohol Governor Arthur Yap (MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
To further protect Bohol province from scourge of the viral disease, Bohol Governor Arthur Yap issued Executive Order 22, extending the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and other calibrated COVID-19 preventive measures until April 30.
“All these are just among the province’s responses to the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 even if Bohol has remained zero active positive case as of April 9,” Yap said.
Yap said the province’s social amelioration for every meal table comes in food vouchers worth P500 each to 300,000 households with an average of four members per family.
“That is on top of the relief food activities on swing now from the LGUs and national agencies like the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). It truly pains me seeing our brothers and sisters in difficult socio-economic condition, so we have to help them through our own social amelioration program,” Yap said.
The completion of the list of recipients, preparation of vouchers, and time and manner of distribution were coordinated with the mayors, including allocation of P150-million funds for agriculture and fishery projects, and P200-million financing support to the MSMEs.
He added that about 40,000 MSMEs can get a P5,000 loan at an interest rate of only eight percent per annum, or less than one percent (-1%) a month.
“The social amelioration for the MSMEs is more inclined to those engaged in food production and supply chain,” Yap stated.
Yap also bared that Capitol has already sent P620,000 in aid to Boholanos stranded in Cebu and other provinces in the wake of the travel restraint due to COVID-19 pandemic.
The amount formed part of the P924,000 allocated through the Provincial Treasurer’s Office (PTO) for financial aid to distressed offshore Boholanos who cannot return to their respective homes.
According to Executive Assistant Kevin Damalerio, the province has already given financial assistance of P2,000 each to 320 individuals, and another aid tranche will be sent to additional 152 recipients on Monday, April 13.
The total allocation prepared by the PTO was intended for 462 validated qualified beneficiaries and as the lockdown continues throughout the country, there may be additional recipients after succeeding validation by the Offshore Boholanos Coordinating Team (OBCT) of the provincial government, Damalerio added.