A local ally of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano in the House of Representatives is pushing for a bill that would grant each Filipino family a one-time cash assistance of P10,000.

Referred to the House Committee on Social Services during plenary session last March 22 was House Bill (HB) No.7698, or the proposed "Act providing P10,000 cash assistance to all Filipino families to help them cope with the effects of the current coronavirus pandemic and the increasing prices of good and services, and for other purposes".

The author of the measure, Taguig-Pateros 1st district Rep. Ricardo Cruz Jr., is the successor to the House seat left by Senator Cayetano.

"Our goal with passing this bill is simplifying & streamlining financial assistance efforts for our kababayans there who really need it right now," Cruz said.

Whether fairly or unfairly, Cayetano has been the subject of memes about a P10,000 cash assistance that he proposed during his time as a congressman.

At any rate, it is now Cruz who is formally pushing for the measure, also dubbed the Sampung Libong Pag-asa (Ten Thousand Hopes) Law, in the current 19th Congress.

Under HB No.7698, each Filipino family needing assistance shall receive a one-tine cash assistance of P10 000, or P1,500 per family member, whichever sum is higher.

The top five priority beneficiaries as stated by the law are the poorest of the poor; senior citizens; persons with disabilities; solo parents; and displaced, retrenched or separated workers or otherwise severely affected or have lost their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Cruz, in his explanatory note, said Filipinos experienced just one payout of cash aid during the pandemic, unlike the Singapore and the United States (US), which have already released four and three tranches, respectively.

"No matter the age, occupation, or social class--we are all struggling. Despite the current difficulties in the country from the pandemic to skyrocketing prices, the. Philippines has only given cash assistance once through RA No.11469 (Bayanihan to Heal as One Act)--one of the smallest stimulus packages compared to other ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries," he wrote.

"It is time we do something similar that would benefit those who are in need to survive the economy. The 10K Ayuda Bill offers economic support for all Filipino families--farmers, fisherfolks, vendors, tricycle drivers, etc.," Cruz stated.

"Although Filipinos are known for their resilience and strength of character, assistance from our government is still necessary so they can survive and make through these uncertain times without any problems or additional anxieties caused by financial worries or unemployment," he said.

"We have seen successes when we initiated the roll out of our own program of implementation of this bill as proof that our kababayans just need a little push to get back on their feet," he added.

As per the bill, the funding for the P10,000 cash aid will be sourced from the national budget, or the General Appropriations Act (GAA).