By Fernan Angeles
FOLLOWING reports of crowding at money remittance centers to claim government cash assistance aptly referred to as the Social Amelioration Program, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) ordered the deployment of policemen at remittance centers for the distribution of the second tranche of the government aid .
DILG spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said that Secretary Eduardo Año directed Joint Task Force COVID Shield chief Police Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar to immediately deploy police officers to ensure that physical distancing and use of face masks is being observed in remittance centers.
“Our field offices have monitored long lines in some remittance centers, we advise them to practice social distancing at all times to protect themselves and their families,” Malaya said in a press statement.
Malaya also said the DILG has tasked quarantine rules supervisors to oversee the deployment of all barangay tanods at remittance centers to ensure the implementation of minimum health standards to prevent the further transmission of COVID-19.
“We are also urging the barangay to assign barangay tanods to remind the public of the minimum health standards together with the PNP,” Malaya said.
Malaya likewise appealed to qualified beneficiaries to maximize the use of cashless transactions since financial service provider platforms such as GCash and PayMaya, through their mobile applications, can be utilized to purchase products.
“Kung puwedeng hindi na nila i-encash at dumiretso na sila sa mga grocery o botika na tumatanggap ng cashless transaction mas mabuti, mas walang contact. Mas protektado tayo sa virus,” Malaya said.
The distribution of the SAP’s second tranche in Metro Manila is expected to be completed by August 15.
A total of P28.3-billion had been allocated for SAP 2 with 2,675,610 family beneficiaries to receive assistance.
Wait-listed family beneficiaries are to receive P16,000 corresponding to 2 tranches of the SAP while original family beneficiaries who already received their first tranche last April and May will receive their second tranche of P8,000.