P1k per person ECQ 'ayuda' to be sourced from gov't savings — Roque
Residents in the National Capital Region that will be affected by the enhanced community quarantine from August 6 - 20 will receive financial assistance from the government sourced from the savings of government agencies according to Malacanang.
In a televised briefing today, August 3, palace spokesman Harry Roque said P13.1 billion pesos have been alloted for some 10.7 million affected residents. This “ayuda” translates to P1,000 per individual or a maximum of P4,000 per family.
Roque said that the funding will be sourced from the savings of government agencies under their budget for 2020. Roque said this is in keeping with the Administrative Order No. 41 signed by President Rodrigo Duterte last year.
A.O. No. 41 directs all agencies of the executive department to identify savings from their respective appropriations under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for fiscal year 2020.
Should more funds be needed, Roque said they are looking at tapping excess revenues from the Bureau of Treasury.
“Bagamat napakahirap po ng lockdown, ang gobyerno kahit papano ay magbibigay naman po ng tulong pinansyal,” said Roque.
The national government has been putting in place preemptive measures aimed to prevent a feared surge of COVID-19 cases fueled by the more transmissible Delta variant. The Delta variant first wreaked havoc in India before triggering a surge in various countries, forcing governments to scramble for supplies such as oxygen and hospital beds. (Paulina Romarate)
(Vendors and other individuals working at the night market in Manila queue for their 2nd dose of the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine in Divisoria during the night vaccination program of the local government on Monday. The Philippine STAR / Miguel de Guzman)