Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez said that Metro Manila mayors will ask the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for an extension in the distribution of the financial assistance from the national government for those affected by the Enhanced Community Quarantine in the National Capital Region-plus (NCR-plus).
Olivarez, who is also chairman of the Metro Manila Council (MMC) said in a radio interview with DZBB on Thursday, April 15, that the 15 days given by the DILG will not be sufficient to fully dispense the cash aid especially for cities with a huge population.
"Iyan po yung pinaguusapan namin sa MMC po. Talaga po yung malalaking siyudad po katulad po ng Quezon City, Maynila, Taguig pati po Parañaque malaki po yung aming population so yung 15 days na ibinigay ng atin pong DILG ay mukha pong di po kakayanin po kaya hihingi po kami ng extension (We've been discussing in the MMC that we will ask for an extension because 15 days will not enough for big cities like Quezon City, Manila, Taguig and Parañaque)," he said.
The MMC chairman added that they will be discussing how many more days they will need to distribute the financial aid and will send the request to the DILG through a letter.
Under Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1, Series of 2021 of the DILG and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), all local government units (LGUs) are directed to determine through an Executive Order the most effective and efficient way of releasing the assistance to their constituents in 15 calendars days upon receipt of the funds if the assistance is in cash, or within 30 calendar days if assistance is in-kind.
Pasay City Mayor Emi-Calixto said on Wednesday that she had asked the DILG for an extension. Rubiano said the local government encountered some problems particularly in the posting of the list of names of the beneficiaries. A total of 123,000 beneficiaries are expected to receive cash aid in the city which received P348 million from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).