President Rodrigo Duterte’s standby fund to support response measures to address the COVID-19 pandemics, including the implementation of the Social Amelioration Program 2 (SAP) worth Ph12 billion as emergency subsidy for many millions of families belonging to the low-income and most vulnerable sector severely affected by COVID-19 as reported by the state-owned PNA.
The disbursement of the SAP 2 will be undertaken by the Department of Social Welfare and Development with some changes especially the way how to distribute the money. As part of the announcement, the recipients will include those severely affected families who were not given during the distribution of the SAP 1 few months ago. This includes the jeepney drivers who are fully affected by non-driving due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of the changes, an ATM card will be distributed to the recipients.
The House Bill 6953 or Bayanihan 2, being the 2nd installment of Bayanihan To Heal As One Act has given President Duterte an emergency power to address the COVID-19 crisis in the country. The first installment expired last June 25.
Other provisions stated in the Bayanihan 2 include: 1) Ph10 billion for Philhealth; Ph10 billion for Department of Health; Ph20 billion for implementation of appropriate cash-for-work progress for displaced workers; Ph12 for SAP 2; Ph51 for capital infusion for the government’s low-interest loans for micro, small, medium businesses at other critically impacted businesses; Ph3 billion for PPE, face mask and face shields to all barangay health workers, officers and other indigent persons; Ph4 billion, for the construction of facilities for isolation and quarantine facilities; field hospitals and expansion of government hospitals and dormitories for te front liners, and expansion of government hospital capacity all over the country.
Meanwhile, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno announced that there will be no “ayuda” that will be distributed when Metro Manila has returned to MECQ. And to address this problem, Mayor Moreno has given permission to the thousand tricycle drivers to operate within the city to earn for their living.
