Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv

MANILA - Manila’s Department of Social Welfare on Tuesday said the city is prepared to distribute cash aid to residents affected by the enhanced community quarantine (EQC).

This, after President Rodrigo Duterte’s latest statement on Monday slammed a Metro Manila mayor for allegedly blaming everyone but himself for a disorderly vaccination system. Duterte said he will not grant the unnamed local government unit the right to distribute the ayuda due to lack of an orderly distribution system.

“Hindi po kami magulong-magulo. Katunayan nga po kami ay handa na pong mamahagi ng ayuda kahapon pa po kaya lang nagka-meeting ang Metro Manila Mayors, gagawin po itong simultaneous distribution simula bukas. Kaya sabay sabay bukas ang Metro Manila sa ayuda distribution,” said Ma. Asuncion Fugoso, officer-in-charge of the Manila Department of Social Welfare.

(Were not disorganized. Actually, we're ready to distribute the cash aid yesterday but the Metro Manila Mayors had a meeting and they will conduct distribution simultaneously starting tomorrow. So Metro Manila will conduct a simultaneous ayuda distribution tomorrow.)

• Duterte slams Metro Manila mayor for ‘disorganized mind’, past lewd photos

Duterte had said he would order the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to take charge of the distribution in that particular LGU.

This followed chaos at some vaccination sites last week on the eve of the start of the hard lockdown in Metro Manila after the spread of wrong information that the unvaccinated won't get cash aid. Duterte also warned the unvaccinated against going out of their homes.

• Palace denies Duterte to blame for COVID-19 vaccination chaos

Until there is a categorical statement identifying Manila as the LGU Duterte was referring to in his latest remarks, the city government will proceed with the aid distribution, said Fugoso.

“Hanggang hindi sinasabing hindi ang Manila ang magdi-distribute eh bakit naman po kami hihinto sa pag-aasikaso? Actually, ready na po social workers at day care workers natin. Kung sabihin na 'wag kami, wala rin pong problema,” said Fugoso in an interview on TeleRadyo.

(We will continue until they say that Manila will not be in charge of the distribution. Actually, our social workers and daycare workers are ready. There’s no problem if they say it won’t be us distributing the cash aid.)

Fugoso said the ECQ ayuda fund has been downloaded to the city.

“Ang totoo po nagre-request pa ako dahil kulang po sa huli naming pondo. Sa ngayon nagbaba ng P1.488 billion kumpara sa nakaraang ayuda, P 1.52 billion. Ito naman po ay ipinaabot natin sa DILG at sabi nila inaayos po nila,” she said.

(Actually, we are requesting for more. The downloaded funds is P1.488 billion compared to the past cash aid of P1.52 billion. We already relayed this to the DILG and they said they will look into it.)

• Hackers attacked Manila website 133 times before 'chaos' in vaccination sites: Isko

Fugoso said only those who were on the previous list will receive cash aid in this round. The city, she said, will prioritize the poorest of the poor from its 6 districts and has a special site in Baseco.

“Hindi namin magawa ang bahay-bahay kasi po ang nakalista sa amin ay 380,820 po tapos palagi namang may deadline kami na dalawang linggo lang. Humihingi kami palagi ng isang linggo pang extension. Wala pong tulugan 'yan kaya nagagawa natin,” she said.

(We can’t do house-to-house distribution because there are 380,820 on our list and we always have a 2-week deadline to do this. We always ask for a one-week extension.)