With the high coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) positivity rate in Metro Manila, the cash aid (ayuda) distribution for the localities that failed to meet the August 31 deadline has been extended to September 10, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año confirmed Wednesday, September 1.
Año recognized the extreme difficulty confronting the concerned LGUs in the handout of the ayuda to their respective recipients in the midst of the pandemic especially with the COVID-19 Delta variant dangerously lurking in the background.
“Sa mga hindi pa nakatapos (ayuda distribution), nag request sila (NCR LGUs) ng extension (To the LGUs that failed to meet the ayuda distribution deadline, they requested an extension) and we are granting them 10 more days. That's up to September 10,’’ Año said.
Año noted that some of those disturbing the payout in the concerned LGUs have contacted COVID-19 the same as some beneficiaries who were unable to go to the cash aid distribution points of their localities.
“So napilayan sila (LGUs). Yung ibang beneficiaries din tinamaan din (COVID-19) kasi mataas yung cases dito Metro Manila. Siyempre with positivity rate may mga na hindi nagreport (to the distribution points). Yung mga asymptomatic, yung iba diyan may mga symptoms pero nag quarantine yan yun naging challenge (They were crippled. Some beneficiaries got infected because of the high number of cases here in Metro Manila. Of course with the high positivity rate there were those who were unable to report. Those asymptomatic, others with symptoms who underwent quarantine, that was the challenge),’’ he added.
The DILG chief insisted that the Metro Manila LGUs that failed to meet the August 31 ayuda distribution deadline had valid reasons emphasizing that expediting the payout is out of the question when there is community transmission that prevents the people from going outdoors.
“After September 10, eto na yung final extension. Yan okay naman yan. Ayaw lang natin ipwersa to the point na sisikan, overcrowding diyan (distribution points). Nandyan na yung ayuda, we are just being reasonable. Kailangan din mag-ingat ( that is the final extension. That is okay. We do not want to force up to the point of congestion, overcrowding there. The ayuda is available, we are just being reasonable. We need to be careful),’’ Año maintained.
As of Wednesday morning, September 1, Año noted that 95 percent of the NCR cash aid which is equivalent to P10.663 out of the P11.2-billion funds were dispensed to a total 10,663,547 beneficiaries. (Chito A. Chavez)