MANILA -- Malabon Mayor Lenlen Oreta said he will be endorsing all families living in the city as beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) social amelioration package for the COVID-19 crisis.

In a statement released Thursday, Oreta said he has instructed all 21 barangays to update their list of families so he can endorse everyone to avail of government assistance.

“COVID-19 spares no one, rich or poor. Every family deserves aid from the government in these extraordinary times. No one should be left behind,” he said.

According to Oreta, the DSWD only allotted 44,032 slots for the whole city of Malabon.

However, based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, Malabon had a total population of 365,525 people, or around 86,000 families, in 2015.

As of Thursday, Malabon had 9 confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Of this number, there were 3 fatalities and one recovery.

The city also has 310 patients under monitoring (PUM) and 57 patients under investigation (PUI).

The Philippine government started Wednesday the process for its P200-billion cash assistance program for over 18 million poor Filipino families to help them rebuild their lives from the coronavirus pandemic.

• Philippines starts processing cash aid for 18 million families

Local government units have been asked to submit the list of beneficiaries for the social amelioration program, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said in a virtual press briefing.

He urged the public to cooperate so that the subsidies can be distributed as soon as possible.

Among those entitled to government aid are the elderly, homeless Filipinos, 'no work no pay' workers, farmers and fishermen, and workers stranded due to the enhanced community quarantine.