President Rodrigo Roa Duterte approved on Thursday (Aug. 12) the ₱3.7 billion funding allocated for the cash aid or “ayuda” in NCR, Laguna, and Bataan.
In today’s Laging Handa public briefing, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Assistant Secretary Rolly Toledo announced the President’s approval for the additional budget.
“Katatanggap lang po namin ng approval ng Presidente ngayong umaga at kasalukuyan pong inihahanda ng DBM ang mga kinakailangang budget documents para agarang mai-release ang cash aid natin para doon sa ating Bataan, Laguna at iyong additional para dito sa ating National Capital Region at inaasahan po namin na mai-release po ang pondo bukas sa Bureau of the Treasury (BTr),” he said.
Asec. Toledo said they will issue a new local budget circular as guidance for the local government units (LGUs) once the BTr has credited the budget.
“Pagkatapos po nito ay ida-download o iki-credit ng ating BTr ang pondo sa mga authorized government servicing banks ng ating mga LGUs at kasabay po nito mag-i-issue rin po kami ng panibagong local budget circular para of course gabayan ang ating mga LGUs sa pag-release at pag-utilize ng pondo para sa ayuda.”
He explained that ₱368 million of the ₱3.7 billion funding is allocated for NCR, ₱2.7 billion for Laguna, and ₱700 million for the province of Bataan.
“Ang karagdagang ayuda po na ito ay para sa mga residente at listahan ng mga local government unit…Iyong actual listahan kasi ng basehan po natin noong nagbigay tayo noong April noong 2021, ito po ay based doon sa report na natanggap namin mula sa Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG),” he said.
Report from Patrick de Jesus/NGS-rir
