Cash aid for poor families must continue even under GCQ --Sotto
Published May 14, 2020 12:00 am
By Vanne Terrazola
The emergency subsidies for informal sector families should continue in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) as mandated by law, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Thursday, May 14.
(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN)
Sotto, a principal author of the "Bayanihan to Heal as One" Act, sought clarification from the executive department over its decision to stop giving out cash aids to families residing in regions where the lockdown rules had been eased.
"Noong nabanggit 'yong 'di na ibibigay 'yong second tranche ng GCQ, medyo nagtaka agad ako, sapagkat ang tingin ko hindi lang nalinaw nang mabuti (When it was mentioned that the second tranche of the subsidy would no longer be given in GCQ areas, I was quite confused, because there might be some misunderstanding)," he said in a radio interview.
The Senate leader noted that the Bayanihan Act specifically provides for a two-month subsidy to at least 18 million low-income households during the COVID-19 national emergency.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque earlier announced that those in the GCQ areas who had received the first tranche of the grants would no longer receive cash aid under the social amelioration program.
Starting May 16, the only areas that will remain under a modified ECQ are Metro Manila, Laguna province and Cebu City, which are considered high-risk for COVID-19 spread. The rest of the country will be placed under the modified GCQ.
Sotto, however, said that subsidies should continue for indigent families in GCQ areas since business operations would still be limited, and that they would still not be able return to their jobs and livelihoods.
"Ang tingin ko hindi magandang GCQ alisan mo na (I think it's not advisable to remove the subsidy for these areas)," he said.
He also noted that there had been delays with the distribution of the first round of subsidy. "That's why we were expecting that they would have ironed out the issues for the second tranche, that the distribution of the second tranche will be much easier," he said.
Sotto said he would speak to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III to clarify this.
(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN)
Sotto, a principal author of the "Bayanihan to Heal as One" Act, sought clarification from the executive department over its decision to stop giving out cash aids to families residing in regions where the lockdown rules had been eased.
"Noong nabanggit 'yong 'di na ibibigay 'yong second tranche ng GCQ, medyo nagtaka agad ako, sapagkat ang tingin ko hindi lang nalinaw nang mabuti (When it was mentioned that the second tranche of the subsidy would no longer be given in GCQ areas, I was quite confused, because there might be some misunderstanding)," he said in a radio interview.
The Senate leader noted that the Bayanihan Act specifically provides for a two-month subsidy to at least 18 million low-income households during the COVID-19 national emergency.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque earlier announced that those in the GCQ areas who had received the first tranche of the grants would no longer receive cash aid under the social amelioration program.
Starting May 16, the only areas that will remain under a modified ECQ are Metro Manila, Laguna province and Cebu City, which are considered high-risk for COVID-19 spread. The rest of the country will be placed under the modified GCQ.
Sotto, however, said that subsidies should continue for indigent families in GCQ areas since business operations would still be limited, and that they would still not be able return to their jobs and livelihoods.
"Ang tingin ko hindi magandang GCQ alisan mo na (I think it's not advisable to remove the subsidy for these areas)," he said.
He also noted that there had been delays with the distribution of the first round of subsidy. "That's why we were expecting that they would have ironed out the issues for the second tranche, that the distribution of the second tranche will be much easier," he said.
Sotto said he would speak to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III to clarify this.