About 800,000 families in Quezon City will benefit from the financial assistance given by the national government to those affected by the enhanced community quarantine in the ‘National Capital Region (NCR) Plus’ area.

Mayor Joy Belmonte said Wednesday the national government has allocated PHP2,481,942,000 for the city’s residents.

“Given their rule of PHP1,000 per individual, that should cover about 2.481 million beneficiaries and if we’re going to break that down into families since the maximum is about PHP4,000 per family, we are looking towards assisting about 800,000 families,” Belmonte said in a phone interview with the Philippine News Agency.

She said based on the guidelines by the national government, those eligible for the aid are the same beneficiaries of the social amelioration program (SAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

She said also included in the list are beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Belmonte said the city government is also reviewing the list of beneficiaries provided to them as they have noticed duplication in names.

By removing duplicate names on these lists, she said they could also include those who received assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Social Security System (SSS) last year and were excluded from the list of SAP beneficiaries.

“We have our own database, we are mandated primarily to follow the DSWD database pero kung baga kulang yung nasa listahan nila, na cover na naman natin silang lahat nabigyan na tapos me extra pa dun sa pondo ng national government at yung criteria naman is those belonging to the low income families, tingin ko hindi naman masama na madagdagan yung benepisyaryo (But if there are still remaining funds, meaning their list is not complete after covering those they have provided and the criteria of the national government is those belonging to the low-income families, I don’t think it is bad to add some deserving beneficiaries),” she said.

On Wednesday, the city government started distributing the cash assistance to beneficiaries.

Belmonte said they are targeting to accommodate about 2,000 individuals per site to avoid crowding in 30 sites covering 40 barangays.

The 40 barangays are as follows: District 1 — Vasra, San Antonio, Katipunan, Paltok, Mariblo, and N.S Amoranto; District 2 — Payatas, Bagong Silangan, Commonwealth, Batasan Hills, and Holy Spirit; District 3 — Socorro, East Kamias, Loyola Heights, Old Balara, Masagana, Villa Maria Clara, Mangga, Libis, Camp Aguinaldo, Blue Ridge A, Blue Ridge B, St. Ignatius, White Plains, Dioquino Zobel, Escopa IV, Escopa I and Escopa II; District 4 –Sacred Heart, Pinagkaisahan, Mariana, San Isidro Galas, San Vicente, and Botocan; District 5 — Sta. Lucia, Capri and Gulod; and District 6 — Sauyo, Sangandaan and Culiat.

The city government is targeting to distribute the cash aid to around 62,176 individuals across all its six districts on its first day of distribution.

Meanwhile, the 30 venues for distribution are as follows:

District 1

-San Agustin Seminary Church; San Antonio De Padua Church; San Antonio Elementary School (ES).; Paltok ES; Cong. Calalay ES; and E. Rodriguez High School (HS)

District 2

-Justice Cecilia Munoz Palma HS, Bagong Silangan ES, Manuel L. Quezon ES, Quezon City University and Barangay Holy Spirit Hall Main, Faustino St.;

District 3

-Socorro Covered Court; E. Rodriguez ES, Loyola Heights Covered Court, Old Balara ES, Masagana Covered Court, Libis Covered Court, and Pura V. Kalaw ES;

District 4

-Quezon City HS, Ramon Magsaysay HS, Mariana Barangay Hall, San Isidro Galas Covered Court, San Vicente Elementary School and Area 6 Covered Court;

District 5

-Barangay Tennis Court, Multi-Purpose Covered Court and Rosa Susano Elem School; and

District 6

-Greenville Covered Court, Ismael Mathay HS, and Culiat HS.

The rest of the city’s 142 barangays will start aid distribution in the coming days.

Cash aid beneficiaries are requested to bring a valid ID, and two photocopies of the ID each bearing three sample signatures for verification and auditing purposes.

Those who are unable to go physically to the sites may send a representative who must bring a valid ID with two photocopies each bearing three sample signatures and an authorization letter together with the beneficiary’s valid ID with two photocopies.

The city government has also asked for the assistance of the Quezon City Police District, Department of Public Order and Safety, and village officials to ensure the orderly distribution of the financial aid and assure that minimum health and safety protocols will be imposed. (PNA)