Palace asks for patience over slow aid distribution

Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News 

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/04/19/20210418-community-pantry-brgy-up-village-md-4.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>Residents in Area 17 in Barangay UP Campus, Quezon City line up in a community pantry facilitated by Tulong Anakpawis serving community-gathered and donated goods consisting of fish, rice, noodles, and vegetables on April 18, 2021, amid the growing number of similar initiatives inspired by the Maginhawa Community Pantry. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Malacañang on Monday asked the public for patience over snags in the government&#x27;s distribution of aid to help low income earners cope with tightened COVID-19 restrictions. </p><p>Authorities have distributed P4 billion out of the P22.9 billion budget for aid distribution, said Palace spokesman Harry Roque. </p><p>Unlike pre-pandemic aid distributions, beneficiaries now have to observe physical distancing and cannot flock to a venue all at once to get the assistance, he said in a press briefing. </p><p>&quot;Humihingi po tayo ng paumanhin dahil talagang medyo may kabagalan,&quot; Roque said. </p><p>&quot;Pero sa panahon po kasi ng pandemya, hindi natin maiiwasan na talagang mag-ingat dahil baka mamaya mabigay nga iyong ayuda, magkaroon naman ng COVID ang mga taongbayan.&quot; </p><p>(We ask for patience because there really is a delay. But in the time of a pandemic, we cannot avoid being careful because we may be able to distribute they aid, but the public could also get COVID-19.)</p><p>Each beneficiary is entitled to P1,000 aid in cash or in kind. Up to 4 members of a family could be eligible for the assistance. </p><p>A total of 22.9 million people are set to receive the aid in Metro Manila and surrounding Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal provinces, which were under the toughest lockdown level for 2 weeks. The area has shifted to the third strictest quarantine status. </p><p>Asked why authorities did not use electronic means to speed up the aid distribution, Roque said, &quot;Ang iniiwasan ata, iyong service fee.&quot; </p><p>&quot;Ayaw na nating mabawasan iyong makukuha ng taongbayan dahil alam natin na hindi naman masyadong malaki iyong P1,000 at P4,000 per family,&quot; he said. </p><p>(What we are avoiding is the service fee. We don&#x27;t want to reduce what will be given to the public because P1,000 and P4,00 for a family are not that big.) </p><p>The Philippines has tallied 936,133 coronavirus infections, 141,089 of which were active as of Sunday. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/multimedia/infographic/03/17/20/tracking-covid-19-cases-in-the-philippines">Tracking COVID-19 cases in the Philippines</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1664650" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar"><div><em>Video courtesy of PTV</em></div></div>

<p>Malacañang on Monday asked the public for patience over snags in the government's distribution of aid to help low income earners cope with tightened COVID-19 restrictions. </p>

Malacañang on Monday asked the public for patience over snags in the government's distribution of aid to help low income earners cope with tightened COVID-19 restrictions.

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Palace asks for patience over slow aid distribution

Palace asks for patience over slow aid distribution

Jamaine Punzalan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Apr 19, 2021 02:25 PM PHT

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Updated Apr 19, 2021 02:37 PM PHT

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