The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) assured on Tuesday, Sept. 14, that government assistance will be provided immediately to the families that would be affected by the two-week granular lockdowns with Alert Level 4 being imposed in Metro Manila on Sept. 16.
DILG Undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya explained that the local government units (LGUs) will provide food packs and other assistance they wish to give in the initial week while the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) hand out food packs to the affected families in the granular lockdown areas.
“Assistance is given instantly. Food packs and other assistance from the LGUs will be provided for the 1st week while food packs from the DSWD will be given on the second week of granular lockdown,” said Malaya.
Malaya stressed that granular lockdowns have been enforced since last year when pressed for the readiness of the LGUs to implement the measure.
In a separate GMA News interview, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said that the assistance that will be given to affected residents is “basically food packs”.
The national government on Sept. 13 released the guidelines on the new alert level system that will be used along with granular lockdowns.
Under granular lockdowns, restrictions will be imposed on mobility and activities in areas described as critical zones. (Chito A. Chavez)