Over 400,000 PH families yet to receive COVID-19 cash aid: DSWD

MANILA-- Some 400,000 poor families have yet to receive cash aid from the government to help them get by during the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of Social Welfare and Development said Wednesday.

Some of the recipients have yet to provide all the information needed for the pay-outs, delaying the process, DSWD Undersecretary Rene Glen Paje said.

"Makakaasa po kayo na kayo ay makakatanggap ng ayuda na ito dahil ang pondo naman nito ay nakalaan na," he said in a virtual press briefing.

(You can expect to receive this aid because funds for this program were already allocated.)

So far, the DSWD said it has distributed over P82 billion in funds to 13.7 million families.

The government in April rolled out the social amelioration program to provide financial aid to poor families as parts of the country were placed under lockdown, halting economic activity.

Under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, which expired in June, each beneficiary is entitled to cash aid ranging from P5,000 to P8,000 twice, supposedly for the months of April and May, based on minimum wage rates in the region.

The program was meant to help some 23 million poor families cope with the coronavirus pandemic.

But three months since the law expired, the DSWD has yet to finish distributing the aid even as it tapped digital wallets for the program.

"Ang second tranche po ay tuloy-tuloy natin ipinapamahagi ang ayuda kaya ang abiso po natin hintayin lamang po," Paje said.

(We will continue to distribute the second tranche so we advise beneficiaries to just wait.)

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"Yung mga eligible beneficiaries ay matatanggap po ninyo ang inyong second tranche," he added.

(Eligible beneficiaries will receive the second tranche.)