By Christine Fabro
Households under granular lockdowns will be receiving food packs instead of cash assistance, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said.
DSWD Assistant Secretary Glenda Relova said in the Laging Handa public briefing on Monday (Sept. 13) that Special Assistance to Granular Lockdown beneficiaries will receive food packs from the DSWD and their respective local government units (LGUs).
According to Relova, the first seven-day food pack assistance will be covered by their LGUs, while food packs for the households’ eighth to 14th day quarantine will be coming from the DSWD.
“Ito po kasing bago nating quarantine classification, it also entails a new scheme po sa ating pagtulong, or hindi po ito iyong katulad ng dati natin na Social Amelioration Program. So ito po ay tinatawag nating Special Assistance to Granular Lockdown,” Relova said.
“Patuloy po kaming nakaantabay sa mga magiging request po ng bawat LGU, ng ating mga kababayan, kung ano po ang kanilang mga pangangailangan. However, wala po tayong blanket na tinatawag nating Social Amelioration Program or iyong grants na kaukulan po dito po sa ating bagong scheme ng community quarantine classification,” she added.
Aside from the Special Assistance to Granular Lockdowns program, Relova said households affected by the COVID-19 pandemic may also avail of the department’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS).
In AICS, social workers conduct a needs-based assessment of each affected household before they grant assistance. – jlo
