Sacks of rice in an NFA warehouse. | CDN FILE PHOTO
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Starting this Wednesday, March 25, 2020, informal earners in Cebu City can expect to receive the sacks of rice pledged by the city government as assistance due to the threats of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia told reporters at a press conference on Sunday, March 22, 2020, that they had identified 160,000 families as beneficiaries.
“Around qualified 160,000 families will stand to benefit,” said Garcia.
Garcia said distribution would start this Wednesday, and that they had sought the help of the Philippine Army and barangay officers for assistance.
“We will ask the barangays and the Milo (Mayor’s Information and Liaison Office) because this concerns city government funds, and we have to look after it. And that it should be spent wisely and ensure help for all people would be maximized,” he added.
Among those who are qualified to receive sacks of rice are residents of Cebu City belonging to the informal sector with several dependents.
Garcia said that while officers at Milo would do the profiling of beneficiaries, social workers from the city’s Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) would validate the information obtained from the barangay level.
Last week, Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella pledged to give sacks of rice to residents who had been greatly affected by the economic impact of COVID-19, particularly those who were classified as individuals living under the condition of ‘no-work-no pay’.