The Department of Social Welfare and Development is ready to implement the government’s extended targeted cash transfer program immediately after funds have been downloaded to their office, an official said Friday.

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno earlier said the Marcos administration will give P1,000 inflationary assistance to some 9.3 million Filipinos belonging to the ‘poorest of the poor’ as well as indigent senior citizens.

• Gov't to give P500 'ayuda' for 2 months to 9.3M households: Diokno

"Dito po magiging mabilis, kasi once na downloaded na po ang ating funds na po ay ito po ay ita-top up na o idi-deposit na po doon sa mga cash card o ATM po noong atin pong mga beneficiaries," DSWD Spokesman Assistant Secretary Rommel Lopez said during the Laging Handa briefing.

"So, ito po ay P1,000 po in total. So, iyon nga po, kapag ito po ay naibaba na po sa atin ang pondo ng [Department of Budget and Management] ay diri-diretso na po ito. Iko-coordinate lang po natin sa Land Bank of the Philippines and then ito po ay matatanggap na ng ating mga beneficiaries."

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Inflation slowed down to 8.6 percent in February from 8.7 percent in January due to the recent slower movement of transport-related prices including gasoline, diesel and motorcycles, the Philippine Statistics Authority said.

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Lopez said the DSWD is not discounting the possibility that the targeted cash transfer program may be extended, subject to the availability of funds.

“So hindi po tayo masu-surprise, depende po sa discretion ng ating Pangulo at depende rin po sa tulong ng ating mga economic managers, kung may makakalap pa na pondo. We cannot discount the possibility na ito po ay mai-extend. But then, iyon nga po hihintayin po natin kung ano po talaga iyong magiging desisyon po ng higher-ups at siyempre iyong tugon dito noong atin pong mga economic managers. Ang DSWD lang po, since tayo po ang implementing agency nito ay magiging ready naman anytime to implement po iyong ganitong mga programa,” he said.

HELP FOR RESIDENTS AFFECTED BY OIL SPILL

Meanwhile, the DSWD will also be providing financial support to residents of Oriental Mindoro, Antique, and Palawan affected by the massive oil spill caused by the sinking of oil tanker MT Princess Empress last February 28.

Around 14,000 affected fisherfolk, including individuals belonging to the poorest of the poor will be prioritized in the DSWD’s cash for work program to help them cope with the economic effects of the oil spill, Lopez said.

• Group warns of fish kill, decline in fishing rates in Mindoro oil spill

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These beneficiaries will be entitled to P355 of pay per day, which is equivalent to the region’s minimum wage.

“Iyong mga kababayan natin na hindi makapalaot, iyong mga mangingisda po iyong ating priority kasi tandaan po natin na may fishing ban din po sa area,” he said.

“Bukod po doon sa ating mga mangingisda, priority po siyempre sa ating cash-for-work iyong mga poorest of the poor po natin sa area kabilang po dito iyong ating mga 4Ps beneficiaries. Kabilang din po dito iyong poorest of the poor na hindi naman kasama sa 4Ps natin pero sila po ay nananatili nga po na mahirap – so, sila po ang mga priority.”

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Meanwhile, around 1,000 individuals from Agutaya, Palawan, and Oriental Mindoro, will also be entitled to a P1,000 emergency cash transfer from the DSWD, Lopez said.

“Bukod po rito sa mga cash for work na ito at siyempre po sa emergency cash transfer natin ay hindi rin po natin dini-discount iyong siyempre pagbibigay po ng assistance sa individuals in crisis situation. Kasi halimbawa po ay hindi naman po sila kasama doon sa mapapabilang po doon sa ating cash for work, so maaari silang lumapit doon sa ating (DSWD),” the official said.

Family food packs will also be distributed every 4 days to around 25,000 affected residents, Lopez said.

"So ang target po natin dito, every four days, doon po sa higit 25,000 na mga kababayan natin na apektado ay makakapamahagi po tayo ng family food packs sa kanila na kahit papaano po ay medyo ma-sustain po natin iyong kanilang road to recovery, ika nga, since alam naman natin itong oil spill ay hindi pa po natin talaga ma-predict kung kailan po natin ito maayos talaga. So ang DSWD naman po ay ready para rito,” he said.

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