By Minka Klaudia Tiangco
The Manila city government will release an additional P19 million-fund to provide P1,000-cash aid to families who have yet to receive cash assistance from the city government amid the enhanced community quarantine.
About P19,941,000 million will be allocated for the cash relief for 19,941 families residing in 100 barangays in the city, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso said in his city address on the evening of April 14.
Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso
(Manila Public Information Office / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
The local chief executive said he approved the release of the additional funding after several barangay heads submitted updated master lists of the number of families who did not receive financial assistance from the government.
“As of today, ang barangay official na nanghingi ng reconsideration ay umabot po sa 100. Itong 19,941 families, amounting to P19,941,000 ang assistance, ay inaprubahan na po para sa inyo (There are a total of 100 barangay officials who are asking for reconsideration. I already approved the release of the assistance amounting to P19,941,000 for these 19,941 families),” he said.
The P1,000 cash aid is sourced from the City Amelioration Crisis Assistance Fund or CACAF, a P591-million supplemental budget that was allocated to provide financial aid for Manila city residents amid the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) crisis.
Last week, the city government finished distributing the CACAF to 576,133 families, who were initially listed as beneficiaries, in a span of three days.
Domagoso said that over 300 barangay heads returned the excess money that they received.
The Manila mayor also appealed for understanding from families who have yet to receive their P1,000 cash aid from the city government.
“Maraming hindi nabigyan dahil una, kalituhan ng mga tao sa barangay kung sino ililista. Hindi naman masisisi—pagod, hirap, puyat, tapos natataranta. Iyan ang kinahaharap natin sa krisis, wala ka maiisip na tama o eksaktong formula (Many of you did not receive the cash assistance because the barangay officials get confused on which names they should list down. We can't blame them, they are tired, sleep deprived, and are at a loss. This is the crisis that we are facing, you will not be able to think of a correct or exact formula),” he said.