The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) expressed optimism that more individuals will receive assistance from the government soon as local government units (LGUs) continue to fast-track the distribution of aid in areas hit by the imposition of Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).
DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao, in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB on Tuesday, April 13, said that LGUs are speeding up the distribution of assistance in Metro Manila and other adjacent provinces that were under ECQ for the past two weeks.
“Tayo naman po, sa pakikipag-ugnayan natin sa mga LGUs, nakita naman po natin na talagang pinagsusumikapan din nila na isagawa nang mas mabilis itong pamamahagi ng ayuda (We are continuously coordinating with LGUs and we saw that they are doing their best to fast-track the distribution of aid),” Dumlao said.
Being the lead implementers of the emergency assistance, Dumlao noted that the LGUs “were the ones to identify the means the strategies that they will be employing for the distribution of the financial assistance.”
Meanwhile, Dumlao reminded the public that local governments have put up grievance committees for complaints and other clarifications on the distribution of aid.
On April 12, DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista reported to President Duterte that over 1.7 million beneficiaries already received the aid from the government as of April 11.
A total of P22.9 billion was allocated by the national government to aid over 22.9 million beneficiaries in Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Bulacan, and Laguna - collectively known as NCR-plus.