Pinondohan ng Quezon City government na nagkakahalaga ng P600 million para sa pagpapalawig ng kanilang financial aid program kaugnay ng coronavirus disease 19 pandemic.
Ang halaga ay manggagaling mula sa P2.8-billion supplemental budget ng lungsod para sa taong 2020 para palawakin ang sakop ng kanilang Kalingang QC financial assistance program sa lahat ng mahihirap na sektor siyudad.
“We saw the pressing need to expand the financial aid program after many ambulant and unregistered vendors were discovered during the first wave,” banggit ni Mayor Joy Belmonte.
Ilan sa mga di rehistradong vendor na hindi pasok sa panahon ng inisyal na distribusyon ng P2,000 cash aid ay ang sellers ng dry goods at cellular phone accessories, aniya.
Sakop din ng expanded program ay ang mga solo parent, persons with disability (pwds) at senior citizens na apektado rin ng Enhanced Community Quarantine sanhi ng COVID-19.
“We want to make sure that all vulnerable sectors will be covered so we allotted part of our supplemental fund for them,” ani Belmonte.
Nauna ng pinaluwal ng city government ang P200 million para sa 100,000 residente, kabilang ang drivers ng public utility jeeps, tricycles, pedicabs, taxis, transport network vehicle service at AUV express gayundin ang market vendors at iba pang daily wage earners.
Mula April 23, 7 p.m., ang Quezon City ay may 1,085 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Sinabi ni Rogelio Reyes, Public Employment Service Office chief, na noong April 21, may 36,582 beneficiaries ang nakatanggap na ng tig P2,000.
Nahaharap ang city government sa malaking logistics challenge lalo na sa distribution ng cash aid sa higit 200,000 senior citizens.
“We are studying the logistics. It would be difficult for us since senior citizens are not allowed to go out of their homes because they are high risk to COVID-19,” litanya ni Reyes.
"Going house to house with huge sums of money for distribution to the elderly could make social workers and treasury staff prone to hold-ups, and would therefore require tight security", aniya pa.
photo : PNA
