Over 1 million low-income people affected by the imposition of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR)-plus have received their one-time financial assistance amounting to more than P1 billion, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Monday evening, April 12.
Citing the report from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) dated April 10, the DSWD said more than P1.1-billion supplemental aid for ECQ areas has been distributed during the April 7 to 9 payouts.
"Based on the April 10 report from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), covering the payouts from April 7 to 9, more than P1.1 billion has already been distributed to over 1 million beneficiaries from the National Capital Region, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal,” it said in a statement.
As part of its technical assistance to the local government units (LGUs), the DSWD said it continued monitoring the payouts which started on April 7.
The DSWD said it maintained its close coordination with the concerned LGUs to ensure that the estimated 22.9 million low-income individuals affected by the ECQ will receive their cash assistance.
It noted that some members of the Executive and Management Committees of the agency, led by DSWD Secretary Rolando Joselito D. Bautista personally monitored the payouts last week.
Bautista, along with other members of the Joint Monitoring and Inspection Committee, went to Parañaque City on April 7 to oversee the distribution of the cash aid.
It was Undersecretary Rene Glen Paje who attended the distribution in Caloocan City on April 7.
On the second day of payouts on April 8, Undersecretary Felicisimo Budiongan monitored the payout in Navotas and Valenzuela, while NCR Director Vicente Gregorio Tomas joined the distribution in Malabon, the DSWD noted.
On April 9, Assistant Secretary Joseline Niwane monitored the distribution in Quezon City.
While, the Marikina payout were monitored by Bautista and Niwane on April 10. On the same day, the payout in Bacoor, Cavite was conducted and was monitored by Director Wilma Naviamos.
"The Department will continue to coordinate with concerned LGUs to ensure that the distribution of financial assistance will be efficiently conducted amid the pandemic,” the DSWD said.