Mayor Antonio Joseph “Jopet” Inton carries relief pack for an elderly constituent. Photo by Ernie Esconde
HERMOSA, Bataan — Two municipalities in Bataan on Tuesday said they were preparing for the payout “at the soonest time” of the financial assistance they received from the national government as form of “ayuda” during the enhanced community quarantine.
Hermosa Mayor Antonio Joseph “Jopet” Inton and Dinalupihan municipal administrator Rolando Rojas said they have to identify the right families to benefit from the cash assistance.
Inton said they got P61.995 million that will be good for 15,000 families but their town has 23,000 families so they have to cut the number down by identifying the poorest families.
“Iba-base sa kanilang poverty threshold na ang ibig sabihin ay family of five. Kung lima sa pamilya at ang income ay P10,400, ito ang poverty threshold. Lahat ng pamilya na P10,400 ang income pababa, sila ang aming ipa-prioritize,” he said.
Inton added they were still in the process of rushing the smooth operability of their system before the actual payout: “Minamadali namin para ma-distribute agad at ayaw naming pagtagalin o pag-initin ang pera sa munisipyo.”
He said that aside from the “ayuda” from the national government, the municipal and provincial governments are doing their share of helping people affected by the imposition of ECQ.
The provincial government under Gov. Albert Garcia provided 25 kilos of rice while the municipal government, he said, distributed packs of groceries to 23,000 families in the town.
Inton said he still could not say if ECQ will be extended after August 22, 2021. “Kung bababa ang bilang ng mga kaso ng Covid–19 at luluwag ang mga ospital ay hindi na mae-extend pero kung patuloy ang pagtaas ng kaso ay malamang na ma-extend pa.”
The Hermosa mayor said it was good that factories at their ecozone were permitted to operate unlike in Mariveles. He said that he does not want ECQ to cause heavy toll on the economy. Under ECQ, export-oriented companies in the Hermosa ecozone are allowed to operate.
Before ECQ, there were 12,000 workers but the number went down to about 8,000 presently, Inton said.
Rojas said Dinalupihan Mayor Maria Angela Garcia has already prepared an executive order and they are in the process of preparing implementing rules and regulations in the distribution of P102.343-M ayuda they received.
“Gusto ni Mayor Garcia masimulan na payout at para matapos na agad kasi napakarami ng aming household,” the administrator said, citing some 31,700 households of around 180,000 individuals, Dinalupihan being a big town.
“Bukod sa 25 kilos na bigas galing sa Bataan Capitol, namimigay si Mayor Garcia ng food packs, rice at canned goods. Sa ngayon, naghahanap kami ng additional na pondo para kung ma-extend man ang ECQ or kung ano man ang susunod na mangyayari ay may pangbibigay pa ang munisipyo,” Rojas said.
He explained that in the distribution of relief goods, they did not consider status in life, whether poor or well-to-do, and if a voter or not in the locality.
“Ang tinitignan namin ang household kung ilang kusina ang mayroon na kumbaga sa isang compound o isang bahay may tatlong kusina ay tatlong ayuda o goods ang ibibigay namin,” Rojas stressed.
