Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Sunday said the House of Representatives and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will provide cash assistance in the coming days to promptly address the issue of poverty across the nation due to the high prices of rice and other commodities.
The Malaya Rice Project is set to begin in Metro Manila next week to benefit over 3 million people nationwide, including those in the low-income sector, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, single parents, and indigenous people.
“This is an initiative of the House and the DSWD to immediately help our fellow countrymen who are struggling while the government works on long-term solutions to hunger and expensive goods,” Romualdez said.
“The government understands the hardships of our fellow countrymen, so we are taking immediate steps to alleviate their suffering,” he added.
Under the program, each beneficiary would receive P1,500 in cash assistance, of which P570 is intended for the purchase of 15 kilos of rice at only P38 per kilo.
The affordable rice would be sold outside the payout centers on that day.
The remaining P930 can be used for their other needs and expenses.
Beneficiaries would come from various congressional districts based on a list submitted by lawmakers.
“The government will not cease to assist the poor during these times because they need our help more than ever,” Romualdez said.
“We will always be here, ready to respond to their needs,” he added.