Who may receive COVID-19 emergency cash subsidy from gov't? DSWD explains

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Sunday gave clarifications on the distribution of the emergency cash subsidy to low-income families nationwide affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation.

In an interview with Dobol B sa News TV, DSWD spokesperson Director Irene Dumlao repeatedly pointed out that only low-income families belonging to the informal sector are qualified to receive an emergency cash subsidy of around P5,000 to P8,000 under the Social Amelioration Program of the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act.

The amount of cash subsidy that each low-income family will receive will vary depending on the prevailing minimum wage rates in the region where they belong.

According to Dumlao, the DSWD has already started distributing the emergency cash subsidy to beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) who are cash card holders.

"Nag-umpisa noong April 3 ang pagdeposito nu'ng emergency subsidy for the beneficiaries in Regions I, II, III, Calabarzon and NCR, and CAR, and BARMM," Dumlao said.

"Nito namang Sabado, Regions IV-B, V, VI, VII, and IX. And then the remaining regions naman, ngayon nila matatanggap 'yung kanilang mga emergency subsidy. This is for 4Ps beneficiaries," she added.

Dumlao said, however, that 4Ps beneficiaries will not receive the entire amount of emergency cash subsidy as allocated for their region, as this cash grant will only be given as an additional to what they will already receive under the conditional cash transfer program.

"Ang naging batayan natin sa pag-compute nu'ng tatanggaping karagdagang subsidiya ng ating mga 4Ps beneficiaries ay 'yung tinatanggap nila na grant para sa buwan ng April and May. Sa buwan ng April, ang ating mga beneficiaries ay tatanggap ng P750 for health and nutrition and rice subsidy na P600. So 'yun 'yung kanilang regular na cash grant para sa buwan ng Abril. So that is P1,350," she said.

"Ngayon ang halaga ng emergency subsidy for residents of NCR ay P8,000. So makakatanggap ang isang 4Ps beneficiary ng karagdagang P6,750 para umabot sila doon sa maximum subsidy na P8,000," she added.

Beneficiaries of 4Ps likewise need not fill out a social amelioration card form, which is used to identify eligible beneficiaries of the emergency cash subsidy, as they are already included in the list of the DSWD, Dumlao said.

"Nililinaw natin na hindi lahat ay mapapasa o makakatanggap ng social amelioration card form. Unang-una, kung ikaw ay 4Ps beneficiary, hindi ka na dapat bigyan ng social amelioration card form dahil identified na kayo," she said.

Dumlao also clarified that only low-income families belonging to the informal sector are covered by the emergency cash subsidies, not individuals.

So in this case, individuals who are on a "no work, no pay" status such as gym instructors, dance instructors, and the like are not included in the beneficiaries of the cash grant.

Households with a member who is a person with disability may be included in the emergency cash subsidy recipients, as long as they are low income and belonging to the informal sector, Dumlao said. The case is the same for households with small businesses like carinderia and sari-sari stores.

Meanwhile, households that have members who are government employees, even as the head of the family is an informal sector worker, will not be included in the beneficiaries of the emergency cash subsidy because government workers continue to receive salaries despite the suspension of work, Dumlao said.

Senior citizens will be covered by the emergency cash grants, provided that they belong to low income families, Dumlao said. As such, elderly couples whose children are well-off will not be included in the program.

Dumlao said the DSWD has started distributing emergency cash subsidies to families who are not 4Ps beneficiaries.

"Tayo ay nakapag-roll out na. Hinihingi lang natin ang understanding ng ating mga kababayan because milyon ang ating pinagsisilbihan," she said.

"We may deputize some local government units who can assist us in the distribution of our cash subsidies. Tayo rin naman ay puwedeng makipagtulungan sa Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, and we will partner also with DILG and other government agencies, para mas mapabilis natin 'yung pagbibigay ng tulong sa ating mga kababayan," she added. —KG, GMA News