The Quezon City government's Pangkabuhayang QC program reached 10,000 applications for a start-up financial assistance on Friday, days before the deadline for submission of the required documents.

After reaching the target number of beneficiaries, the Small Business and Cooperatives Development and Promotions Office (SBCDPO) announced that online and offline applications for the program are temporarily on hold to give way to the evaluation of all documents received.

No applications will be accepted on Nov. 2, the supposed last day of filing.

Interested residents are advised to wait for the announcement of Phase 2 of the said program.

On Friday, residents flocked to the Quezon City Hall for the alleged cash aid distribution under the program, which turned out to be fake news.

Mayor Joy Belmonte clarified the issue.

“It was the fake news that led to the influx of people today. From the investigation of our team, people lined up as early as last night with the idea that they can receive P10,000 just by falling in line. An estimated 85% of the people who went to city hall were not interested in starting a business but were there to get the alleged ‘ayuda’. They do not have application forms and the necessary documents to support any business plans for the program,” she said.

Last week, the city government debunked a Facebook post that encouraged people to apply for quick cash assistance per household.

“We prepared for the last-minute applicants because people really tend to submit requirements up to the last minute. However, we were surprised to learn that people were falling in line without proper information about what the lines are for," Belmonte said.

The Pangkabuhayang QC, a livelihood training and financial assistance program for QCitizens who have lost their jobs or whose businesses suffered due to the pandemic, was launched last Sept. 6. Since then, the SBCDPO has been receiving an average of 150 applications per day.

The city government has allotted P150 million for the program’s first phase and each applicant stands to receive from P5,000-20,000 depending on their choice of business.