The payouts for the cash assistance for affected individuals in the National Capital Region (NCR) are “yet to be set” by the Local Government Units (LGUs), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) clarified on Saturday, Aug. 7.
DSWD, through the Office of the Secretary, issued this clarification following a news article that allegedly “misquoted” DSWD Spokesperson Director Irene Dumlao, saying that cash aid payouts in Metro Manila may start on Aug. 7.
The agency said that in a radio interview, Dumlao expressed “hopefully within the day (Friday) mailabas na nga ang Local Budget Circular (LBC) and sana pati na ang notice of cash allocation.”
“This, as she explained, that funds for the financial assistance will be downloaded directly by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to the LGUs, as contained in the Memorandum of the Executive Secretary dated August 03, 2021,” DSWD said.
DSWD explained that on Aug. 06, the DBM issued LBC No. 138 setting the budget parameters for the financial assistance.
Pursuant to this, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), DSWD, and Department of National Defense (DND) crafted the Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) which will serve as the “guide of the LGUs in distributing the financial assistance.”
DSWD stressed that the said JMC has been signed on Aug. 07. THIS will then be issued by the DILG to the LGUs for their “onward scheduling of payouts.”