Not even elbow room, much less social distancingobtains at the cash distribution in a gym at the back of the Aliaga town hall Wednesday. Contributed photo
ALIAGA, Nueva Ecija — Police and fire personnel deployed to enforce physical distancing among beneficiaries of the government’s social amelioration program (SAP) failed to contain the situation during the cash distribution in Barangays San Juan and Poblacion here, a social welfare official said Wednesday.
Ferlyn Santiago, consultant of the municipal social welfare and development office, everything was planned at San Juan Elementary School on Tuesday but the policemen just were unable to control the crowd.
“May dalawang gate po dun na pangkontrol sa mga tao,” she said. “Yun nga po ang nangyari. Ngayon po, nag-try po kami sa open na place, hindi po namin nakontrol yung mga tao. Hindi po makontrol mabuti kaya po inabot kami ng gabing-gabi.“
The same thing happened at a gym at the back of the municipal hall in Poblacion on Wednesday.
Vice Mayor Erwin Javaluyas condemned in his social media post the situation in Barangay San Juan: “Kinokondena ko kung sino man ang may kagagawan nito. Ang pagmukhaing kawawa ang aking mga kabarangay at ibilad sa init ng araw.“
Javaluyas, while thankful for the assistance to his village mates, scored the lack of social distancing and the people’s long exposure to heat under the sun.
The village officials, he said, prepared the gym that should have been comfortable, especially for elderly residents, but somebody decided to hold the distribution at the school.
Senior citizens, he claimed, also had to suffer walking a distance to the barangay hall for clearances and certification.
But Santiago said they had never encountered the said problem in their previous payout.
Meanwhile, the MSWDO requested DSWD regionaloffice for a one-week extension to finish the payout to 11,160 beneficiaries.
Santiago said they had to entertain all complaints, including allegations that some people in the list were not qualified.
