The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) through the Provincial Government of Bulacan headed by Governor Daniel Fernando led the distribution of Multipurpose Cash Aid to 869 Bulakenyo families mostly affected by the coronavirus disease pandemic.
The cash distribution was held at the Hiyas Ng Bulakan Convention Center, City of Malolos on Friday.
Fernando said, the PRC provided three types of assistance worth P3,500 per family funded from the P70 million allocated by the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) nationwide.
According to Congresswoman Lorna Silverio of the Third District of Bulacan and acting chairperson of the PRC-Bulacan Chapter, the cash aid include 91 socially vulnerable families with relatives affected by COVID-19.
She said apart from the P3,500 cash aid, food packs good for two weeks were also distributed.
There were 522 socially vulnerable families without relatives who contracted COVID-19. Most of them do not have a livelihood and were unable to work physically. They were given P3,500 cash aid.
Some 256 socially vulnerable families who have relatives that have lost their jobs during community quarantine particularly those in the ‘no work, no pay’ scheme will also receive the said cash aid according to the profiling and needs assessment.
In addition, they were subjected to a conditional cash grant where they were given seven days of work with a salary of P500 per day.
Cong. Silverio, representing Senator Richard J. Gordon who is chairman and chief executive officer of the PRC, said this is the PRC’s response to its principle of voluntary, caring and humanitarian cooperation.
She also advised the beneficiaries not to rely on the assistance provided by the government and advised them to start a small business.
Meanwhile, according to Ricardo Villacorte, administrator of the PRC-Bulacan Chapter, the beneficiaries were selected based on the analysis of the barangay response committees of the PRC.