Residents of Consolacion aid from AICS program 

Senator Imee Marcos leads the distribution of aid from the AICS program to beneficiaries in Consolacion town, northern Cebu. CDN Digital photo | Mary Rose Sagarino

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu—About 400 residents in Consolacion town have received P2,000 during the ceremonial distribution of the Assistance to Individual in Crisis Situation (AICS) at the town’s gymnasium on Monday, June 6, 2022.

The 400 beneficiaries were consist of farmers, fisherfolk, displaced families and less privileged Consolacionanons.

Incumbent Vice Mayor and Mayor elect Teresa “Nene” Alegado said the AICS was supposed to be distributed in March but was halted because of the Comelec ban which prohibits spending public funds for 45 days ahead of the May 9 elections, from March 25 to May 8.

Alegado said a total of 1,200 residents from Consolacion were listed to receive the AICS aid.

“Kana sila ron’g amoang gitabangan not all of them are true blooded Consolacionanon, naay daghan nianhi aron makatrabaho as much as possible humane accommodation atoang ihatag sa ilaha,” said Alegado.

Alegado said the remaining beneficiaries will receive the aid soon as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is continuing to verify if they are still alive or not, and the information they submitted, among others.

Senator Imee Marcos, the sister of president-elect Bongbong Marcos, said it has been her advocacy to end poverty in the country and she believes that it can be achieved in this lifetime with the status of medicine and science, education, livelihood, and enhanced farming, among others.

Marcos said they have already discussed with DSWD about the plan to expand the AICS to the highly vulnerable sectors in Cebu City such as Barangays Mabolo and Tisa and places in northern and southern Cebu. 

“We really need to have our social protection supports in place, hindi Ito dole out na forever and ever but more importantly, we really need the safety nets for health, education, and of course our very climate-prone situation here in Cebu. Timaan tayo nang Odette, marami pang hindi nakakabangon. It’s a combination of factors so I’m afraid that social protection and subsidies will have to go on for a little bit kung papaano hahanap nang pera. ‘Yan ang problema natin, but I’ll certainly do my very best in the senate to make certain that all our safety nets should be in place,” said Marcos, who was present during the distribution of the AICS.

/bmjo

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