SAP 2 payouts to continue in MECQ areas

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) National Capital Region Director Vicente Tomas via PNA

MANILA – Family beneficiaries of the government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP) who are living in areas that have been reverted to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) will be provided with quarantine passes so they can claim their cash aid at payout centers.

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) National Capital Region Director Vicente Tomas made this announcement during a biweekly briefer on Tuesday, saying payouts will continue despite the reimposition of a stricter community quarantine.

“Tuluy-tuloy pa rin po maski meron tayong MECQ. Ang nangyari, nagkaroon ng koordinasyon with the local government units (LGUs).

Ito ay ang pamimigay ng quarantine pass para sa beneficiaries papunta sa payout centers (The payouts will continue during the MECQ. We have discussed it with the LGUs and we agreed to provide the beneficiaries with quarantine passes so they can go to the payout centers),” he said.

DSWD-NCR reported that they have already reached 84 percent of the distribution of the second tranche of the government’s emergency subsidy to low-income families who were hard-hit by measures sought to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier heeded the appeal of medical professionals to reimpose stricter lockdown measures in Metro Manila and nearby provinces due to a continuous increase of Covid-19 cases under relaxed community quarantine measures.

Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan will be under MECQ from Aug.

4 to 18.

DSWD Undersecretary Glen Paje, during the same briefing, said they have faced several challenges in delivering the cash aid.

However, he said they are still continuing with the distribution and expressed hope for its completion by mid-August.