By Jhon Aldrin Casinas
Pasig City began on Tuesday the distribution of its supplemental cash assistance to residents not covered by the social amelioration program (SAP) of the national government.
Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto
(KEVIN TRISTAN ESPIRITU / MANILA BULLETIN)
Mayor Vico Sotto said each Pasig family in need of help because of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) will receive P8,000 under the Pasig Supplemental SAP.
“Simula na po tayo ngayon, ngayong Martes (We have started with the distribution today, Tuesday). As we speak, nagsisimula na po ang ating (we have already begun our) Pasig Supplemental SAP,” Sotto said on Facebook live.
The mayor said the pilot run of the subsidy distribution kicked off in Barangays Malinao, San Antonio, Sagad, Santa Rosa, and Buting. He added that the distribution of the cash assistance will be conducted on a house-to-house basis.
Sotto urged residents of the said barangays to stay home to receive the aid from the city government personnel.
As part of its response against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the local government has allocated more than P1 billion in financial aid for families affected by the health crisis.
In order to secure the funds, Sotto said that some programs and projects of the city government will either be cancelled or delayed.
He said the amount will be enough to cover the target P8,000 cash assistance to each Pasig family, whether rich or poor.
Sotto urged residents who are well-off to waive their share so the cash will be given to those who need it the most.
“Ito pong supplemental SAP, lahat po bibigyan natin. Pero kailangan nating i-emphasize na ang layunin natin dito ay para magbigay ng ayuda para sa mga nangangailangan (With the supplemental SAP, everyone will be given their share. But I would like to emphasize that our purpose here is to give assistance to those who really need it),” Sotto explained.
“Yung layunin natin sa Pasig Supplemental SAP ay para matulungan yung mga talagang nangangailangan ng tulong na hindi nabigyan nung national SAP (Our purpose with the Pasig Supplemental SAP is to help those who truly need the aid that were not covered by the national government’s SAP),” he stressed.
Out of more than 200,000 families that were identified as subsidy recipients, Sotto said that only over 93,000 have been approved by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to receive the assistance from the national government.
He said the local government targets to provide cash assistance to around 160,000 families who are not covered by the subsidy from the national government.
With only a few days left before the extended deadline for the distribution of the subsidy from the national government expires, the mayor said that they are almost finished with the distribution of the assistance.
“Walang pulitika dito, yan ang tandaan natin. Sa panahon ng krisis, walang panahon para sa pulitika (There's no politics here, that's what we should remember. In times of crisis, there is no time for politics),” Sotto said.
“‘Yung mga iba pilit nilang nilalagyan ng pulitika pero wala talaga. Kailangan magtulungan po lahat eh (Others insist on putting politics into it but there is nothing really. Everyone needs to work together),” he added.