Local government units (LGUs) in the National Capital Region (NCR) will start distributing cash aid to residents affected by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) on Wednesday.

Metro Manila Council (MMC) Chairman and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez said the cash distribution will be conducted simultaneously.

“Napag-usapan namin na lahat ng syudad sa Metro Manila, sa Miyerkules magsisimula lahat. Simultaneously lahat. Magsisimula ang pagbibigay ng financial assistance sa lahat ng mga residente na affected ng ECQ (We discussed that in all cities in Metro Manila the distribution of cash aid will start on Wednesday. That will be simultaneous. The distribution of the financial assistance to all residents affected by ECQ will start),” he said in a radio interview.

The government estimates that aid to NCR alone will cost P13 billion, and that the Department of Budget and Management already has sourced at least P10 billion.

Olivarez said that those who are registered under previous social amelioration programs (SAP) or not are qualified to receive aid. However, those who are not registered will have to register under the SAP.

Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 3, series of 2021 issued by the Department of Interior and Local Government stipulates a financial assistance of P1,000 per low-income individual with a maximum P4,000 per low-income family who are affected by the ECQ in NCR, pursuant to Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Resolution No. 130-E which took effect on August 6.

Both Local Budget Circular No. 138 issued by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and JMC No. 3 tasked the LGUs, under the supervision of the DILG, to release the financial assistance to their respective constituents.