Quezon City District 2 Councilor Winnie Castelo is proposing the appropriation of P1 billion as cash aid or “ayuda” to poor families in the city who have been left out in the national government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP) during the current two-week hard lockdown in Metro Manila.
The District 2 councilor, a member of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) led by House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin G. Romualdez as president, said Malacañang has released P2.4 billion to the city as SAP aid for 836,674 qualified beneficiaries.
“It was reported that other Quezon City residents whose names are not on the beneficiary master list but who are considered indigents and low-income earners and are also affected by the two-week lockdown or enhance community quarantine (ECQ),” Castelo said.
Aside from these families, the councilor said some QC residents have lost their jobs, and others are employees who are working for only three to four days a week but whose earnings are not sufficient for their households.
“Like those in the SAP master list of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), those not in the list and the jobless and underemployed need ayuda or financial assistance. It is the latter groups the proposed ordinance intends to help,” Castelo added.
He pointed out that the needed funds could be sourced from savings, incoming revenue collections and other available appropriations in the city’s 2021 budget.
He recalled that the city appropriated P1.2 billion as additional ayuda during the last ECQ.
Under Proposed Ordinance PO21 – CC 426 qualified beneficiaries would receive P1,000 per individual or a maximum of P4,000 per family, the same amount those in the DSWD master list are getting.
Castelo suggested that the ordinance be known as Social Amelioration Program 2 in Quezon City.