City releases more than P93-million household financial assistance; voter’s ID not required on claimants

The City Government on Tuesday clarified that a voter identification card is not required upon claiming its P1,500-per-household financial assistance.

City administrator and legal counsel Atty. Arnel Pedrosa told Palawan Daily News Tuesday, March 24, the chairmen of the barangays will be able to identify their legitimate constituents.

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“Kahit anong ID basta’t meron silang mapagkakakilanlan. Kung wala naman, alam na ni kapitan kung sino sila at least. Kung may voter’s ID mas maganda kung meron, pero kung wala, any ID will do,” said Pedrosa.

“Kanina before lunch napirmahan ko na lahat ng mga cheque ng mga barangays… 66 barangays. So malamang sa mga oras na ito, sa mga sumandaling ito tingin ko nakuha na nila sa Land Bank, so tingin ko start na rin ‘yong distribution doon sa kani-kanilang barangay,” he added.

Pedrosa said to make the distribution clearer, the City Planning Office (CPO) has provided a list of households per barangay in Puerto Princesa.

Fransisco Gabuco, president of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) of the city also told Palawan Daily News Tuesday this list from CPO was based upon the 2018 household-mapping of the City Government.

Gabuco said the cash assistance will be distributed house to house and the residents need not go to the barangay hall.

“Katulad ng malalaking barangay, talagang hindi mo makukuha ‘yan [matapos ang distribution] ng isang araw [o] dalawa. Iyan talaga ang realidad. Katulad ng San Pedro ay napakarami. Alam mo ang San Pedro kung ilang quarantine pass na ang nailabas namin? Nasa 11,000 na. Antayin na lang po nila para hindi ma-jeopardize ‘yong social distancing,” said Gabuco.

This P93-million financial assistance for households in Puerto Princesa is part of the total P417 million fund of the City Government attached to its adoption of the local state of calamity due to the threat of Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).

The City Council on Friday, March 21, approved a resolution adopting the Presidential Proclamation No. 929, which placed the entire country under the state of calamity.

This appropriated P417 million comes from Puerto Princesa’s 2020 City Disaster Risk Reduction Management (CDRRM) budget and unutilized funds.