By Jean Fernando
Starting next month, about 40,000 eligible Parañaque residents will receive a P5,000 cash assistance from the city government under the new Paraña-Cash program.
Mayor Edwin Olivarez said families who will benefit from the program are those “left-out households” that did not receive any form of cash assistance from the national government under the social amelioration program, expanded 4Ps, and COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program of the Department of Labor and Employment.
“Households did not receive cash from the national government are entitled to P5,000 cash assistance as part of the city’s relief efforts to mitigate the economic impact caused by the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic,” according to Olivarez.
The mayor said the city government was able to raise a fund for the Paraña-Cash program after suspending the P200-million astrodome project supposedly to be constructed this year.
Mar Jimenez, chief of the city’s Public Information Office, said that eligible households through a representative of legal age must fill up an intake form, which can be downloaded online.
Jimenez said the applicant should certify therein that he/she nor any other member of the household has not received any of the SAP.
Jimenez said that the eligible households will be given a “Europay, Mastercard, and Visa” card (EMV) or debit card in which the Paraña-cash pay-out shall be deposited.
Jimenez said the EMV card will be issued only in the name of the household’s designated representative.
“The distribution scheme may be carried out house-to-house, sitio-by-sitio, or by plaza, depending on population density and size of the area, with strict adherence to stringent social distancing measures,” Jimenez disclosed.
Jimenez clarified, however, that the intake form required to be accomplished is a public document. “Providing any false or untruthful information therein may warrant criminal prosecution under the revised penal code or other special laws,” he said.
He added that falsifying the form may also be grounds for disqualifying the applicant or any of the members of his/her household from any relief assistance the city may extend to residents.