Local chief executives, LGUs can be trusted with distribution of gov't's 'ayuda' —DSWD chief
The distribution of financial assistance in the National Capital Region (NCR)-plus showed that the local chief executives and the local government units (LGUs) can be trusted with the delivery of government’s aid to vulnerable sectors amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said on Wednesday, July 7.

DSWD Secretary Rolando Joselito D. Bautista said one of the positive things they learned from the distribution of government’s ayuda or cash aid is that the LGUs were “reliable” partners in delivering social protection services to the country’s poor families.
“Based on experience, if we will trace back on the last special assistance provided in the NCR-plus bubble, nakita natin na (We see that) very reliable on the perspective ng (of the) DSWD, very reliable na ang (that the) transfer of funds will be directly to the local government units because they know the situation on the ground at kilala nila ang mga (and they know) beneficiaries,” he said in a pre-SONA media launch virtual presser on Wednesday.
He noted that the DSWD, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Department of National Defense (DND) provided the team to “have a check and balance”, and keenly monitor the LGUs’ delivery of the financial assistance.
“As a whole, ang magandang natutunan natin dito sa (the good lesson we learned from this) special financial assistance that we trust our local government units, we trust our local chief executives in the distribution of the ayuda,” Bautista said.
The DILG announced Monday night, May 31, that the 22.9 million low-income individuals targeted to receive the financial assistance in the NCR-pus have been served.
In the Talk to the Nation briefing with President Duterte, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año reported that 22,915,422 qualified individuals from Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal collectively referred to as NCR-plus received the ayuda (cash aid) amounting to P22,889,119,154.
Related story: https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/01/ayuda-distribution-to-ncr-recipients-now-100-percent-complete-ano/