Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles clarified on Monday that cash assistance to be given by the government would only be for the poorest or low-income families.
In an online briefing, the spokesman of the interagency task force on top of the Covid-19 response explained that financial assistance to be given by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) was meant for those in the informal sector. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will have a separate assistance program for displaced formal sector workers, called the Covid-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP).
The DSWD social amelioration program, worth P5,000 to P8,000 depending on regional wage rates, will be given per family and not individually, Nograles said.
The DSWD program covers families included in the 4Ps cash transfer program, which already have ATM cards and will no longer be given “social amelioration cards” as they are already in the 4Ps database.
The money for 4Ps beneficiaries was released last week, he said.
“Gusto ko lang ipaalam sa ating mga 4Ps beneficiaries na may cash card, last week po na-transfer na ng DSWD ang inyong karagdagang tulong sa inyong mga ATM accounts.”
Local governments will give social amelioration cards to other low-income families, particularly those with senior citizens, solo parents, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable individuals.
Senior citizens with pensions are not included, Nograles said.
He appealed to households with regular incomes not to avail themselves of the cash assistance:
“Ngayon, kung may kaya naman po kayo at hindi naman talaga kayo kasama doon sa sinasabing informal worker na naghihirap, huwag na po tayong magpumilit din na pumasok pa diyan at makisali diyan kasi ang priority po talaga natin ay iyong mga hirap talaga.”
Nograles also said that for households with more than one family, each family would still get DSWD assistance.
DOLE’s CAMP will separately grant a one-time P5,000 cash assistance. According to a DOLE advisory, this will be given through company payrolls. (PressONE.ph)