Several efforts to aid the whole of the Filipino people have been done and completed by the Philippine government. This is made up of the acts of certain government agencies like the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE); the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD); as well as the entirety of the government.
That being said, the entire public sector is on the move not only to fix the current situation, but also to aid in the problems we're currently experiencing. So what actions have they taken? What things do they plan on doing to ease the situation we are in now?
Read: Cash Assistance From the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Worth P5K to P8K
Good news, though, the P100 billion cash to help poor families has been released by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). This is half of what the DSWD has promised to provide through the amelioration forms.
The enhanced community quarantine
Let's take a few steps back; back on the 16th of March 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte declared the entire island of Luzon to be under a strict and an enhanced community quarantine.
This prohibits the regular movement that people are doing. In case you're unsure of what this mandates, the enhanced community quarantine is:
- The reason why we're not able to go out
- What the solution is to contain the virus in the National Capital Region (NCR)
Read: Here’s a List of People Who Can Go Out During the Luzon Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ)
That being said, millions of people in the island lost their jobs; some temporarily, some permanently. The virus has taken its toll and we're currently experiencing it.
Because of this, the Philippine government is doing what it can to help out everyone who is in dire need of it.
The DBM said that P100 billion has been release to the DSWD for their social amelioration program under the Republic Act (R.A.) 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act.
The DSWD's program
Just to clarify, the DSWD's program where they said they'll have P200 billion of funds to be distributed is a part of this. The DBM's announcement that they released P100 billion is the half of the budget that the DSWD would do to the subsidies of the 18 million household in the next two (2) months.
Read: Bayanihan To Heal as One Act of 2020, Signed Into Law
As per the DBM, this amount that they released will cover the first (1st) month requirement of the DSWD's amelioration program.
The released amount is expected to cover the first month requirements of the Social Amelioration Program that will cover almost 18 million Filipino households who have been identified to be mostly vulnerable to the economic shocks brought by the COVID-19 situation."
Most affected areas under the community quarantine
In another story, the DBM, together with the DSWD, DOLE, Department of Agriculture (DA), the Department of Finance (DoF), the Department of Interior and the Local Government (DILG), as well as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) was successful in issuing a Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1, s. 2020.
Read: Anti-COVID-19 Discrimination Ordinance, Passed in Manila
This Circular provides the harmonized guidelines on special amelioration measures to the residents and communities that have been affected by the community quarantine.
Carlos Dominguez, the Finance Secretary said that when they reviewed the financial position of the country, they were able to identify that the funds they need can hastily be produced by utilizing some resources.
We have more than P100 billion cash and cash equivalents in various GOCC (government-owned and -controlled corporations) accounts, and another P100 billion more in various national government accounts outside the Treasury Single Account (TSA)."
Helping the frontliners
To add to the public helping scheme, frontliners like the police force, military personnel, as well as health and medical workers are given a budget of P27.1 billion. This is for a program that would help them as a form of economic relief.
So to fully clarify things, the P100 billion cash that has been released by the DBM is to form the half of the pledge made by the DSWD that they'll be helping and assisting families and households in the island of Luzon.
The COVID-19 is currently in the stretch; more and more people are being infected and the Philippine government is doing what it can for the virus to be fought and finally be dealt with.
Read: The PhilHealth Will Shoulder COVID-19 Patients’ Hospital Expenses
What do you think about the P100 billion cash plus the other half that the DBM released? Can this assistance prove that our country is capable of a lockdown? Or would it be minimal help to those who are part of the poorest in the spectrum?
Source/s: MSN | The Philippine Star
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