Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año stated Sunday, August 22, that P7.9 billion out of the P11.25 billion cash aid (ayuda) for the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) recipients in the National Capital Region (NCR) has been distributed.
Año noted that the distributed fund is equivalent to 70.29 percent of the ayuda allocation to the low-income individuals in Metro Manila.
Metro Manila was placed under ECQ, the strictest health protocol, from August 6 to 20 to slow down the transmission of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) Delta variant which had dangerously spread throughout the country in recent weeks.
Due to economic concerns, Metro Manila was eventually placed under the more relaxed modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from August 21 to August 31 like Laguna while Bataan will be under the same restriction from August 23 to August 31.
The DILG chief noted that there is still no update on the ayuda distribution in Bataan and Laguna which were both previously placed under the ECQ.
Each low-income individual in the ECQ hit areas of NCR, Bataan and Laguna were given P1,000 cash aid with every family receiving a maximum financial assistance of P4,000.
With NCR, Bataan and Laguna now under the MECQ, many poor families are calling for the national government to provide them with additional ayuda as not all businesses have opened up.
Año remained mum when pressed if he thinks ayuda should still be given to the qualified recipients in the MECQ areas with some businesses being operational.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in an earlier ABS-CBN report stressed that dine-in services, both indoor and al-fresco, will still be prohibited in Metro Manila, Laguna and Bataan.
He added that personal care services, including beauty salons, beauty parlors, barbershops and nail spas, as well as religious gatherings, are also still not allowed.
But several individuals complained that not all businesses are not allowed under the MECQ areas that placed them further in a deep financial hole until August 31.
A barber who declined to be identified said that times are hard for him and his co-workers since the start of the pandemic in the country and even more difficult with the “ECQ and MECQ lockdowns’’ being enforced.
“Kailangan kung mamalimos sa tropa, kamaganak at mga customer ko. Nakakapangliit pero yung kita ko sa home service ay kapos sa pangangailangan ng pamilya ko (I have to beg for help from friends, relatives and customers. It is very embarrassing but my home service income is not enough for my family’s needs,’’ the barber said.
His co-workers echoed his sentiments and hoped that the government would provide them with “mas sapat (more substantial)’’ cash aid “dahil gumagapang na sila sa hirap (since they are extremely hard-up).’’ (Chito A. Chavez)