MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the military to assist the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the distribution of cash assistance to poor families during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.
Duterte on Tuesday asked DSWD secretary Rolando Bautista to seek the help of soldiers, particularly female ones, in the distribution of emergency subsidies.
“Ang order ko sa kanya, kanina nung nag-meeting kami na he will request na kapwa niya sundalo noon – eh retired na ‘to, that’s why he’s with the Cabinet – na magpatulong siya sa Armed Forces pag-distribute ng pera,” the President said.
The government has initially allotted P200 billion as cash aid to the country’s poorest families with most part of the country under enhanced community quarantine due to COVID-19 pandemic.
The program, however, will be expanded to cover 5 million more families.
President Duterte said that the DSWD may commission the women soldiers to help out in the program given that they have more “empathy.”
As of Monday, a total of 1,265 local government units met the deadline for the distribution of the first tranche of the emergency subsidies, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said./PN
