P13.1-B听cash aid during听lockdown听not enough听鈥斕齔arate听
A LAWMAKER from the progressive Makabayan bloc said on Wednesday that the allotment of P13.1 billion for 10.7 million residents in the听capital region听who听would be affected by the reimposition of听a two-week lockdown听starting Friday is a “mere pittance.”听听听
“Even if the government gives P4,000 per family it is far from enough because based on the iPrice data a family of four would need P57,600 to live comfortably for two weeks,” said Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani T. Zarate in a press release.听听听
The听data from iPrice Group听he cited听put听Manila as听鈥渙ne of the most expensive cities to live in Southeast Asia,鈥澨齬anking third in the region听with an estimated monthly cost of P50,800,听听
鈥淭his is only for one person. If there is no rent, it would cost P28,800 per month to live decently. If you split it to two weeks, one person will need P14,400 in Manila,鈥澨齅r. Zarate听said听in Filipino.听听听听
Presidential听Spokesperson听Herminio听L. Roque, Jr.听has announced听that听low-income听residents in Metro Manila will be given P1,000 per person or a maximum of P4,000 per family听as cash assistance during the period of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the strictest lockdown category.听听听
Other members of the Makabayan bloc,听in a press conference on Thursday,听听challenged听President Rodrigo R. Duterte to live on P1,000 for two weeks.听听听听
鈥淯ntil now, there are people who haven鈥檛 recovered their lost income from the first ECQ听(such as our workers, small business owners, and farmers,鈥澨鼴ayan Muna Rep. Eufemia Cullamat said in Filipino.听听听
The progressive group听also pushed for听the听passage听of the Bayanihan to Arise as One Act or Bayanihan III,听the third stimulus package in response to the coronavirus pandemic. It is currently pending in the Senate.听听听
The bloc was pushing for听a one-time cash subsidy of up to P10,000 per听Filipino under the proposed law, but the House-approved version provides P2,000.听听听听
Meanwhile, the Makabayan bloc also filed House Bill 9922 on Wednesday that seeks to provide a P3,000 monthly inflation adjustment allowance for all government workers.听听听听
鈥淕overnment workers continue to push for P16,000 per month national minimum wage. In the immediate however, they are calling for additional allowances to help them cope with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and high inflation rate in our country,鈥澨齮he group said in their explanatory note.听鈥 Russell Louis C. Ku
