PH 
MANILA — The Philippine government will start giving financial aid to families that were not included in the initial list of beneficiaries of the P200-billion social amelioration program amid the COVID-19 pandemic, President Rodrigo Duterte announced Monday night.
“We will start giving the aid to those who are not in the list,” Duterte said in a televised address aired shortly before midnight.
The President did not give details on the financial subsidy, but said that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will also spearhead the distribution of aid with the help of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
“DSWD and again, mag-pinch hit ang DILG to help… or you divide the territory yung iba DILG yung iba DSWD. Yung mga tao na hindi naisama sa listahan,” he said.
The President earlier admitted that proposals to include middle class families in the distribution of financial aid are valid, but said that government funding is a problem.
He later said that he is willing to sell government properties to sustain aid for families affected by the lockdown.
"Gagastos tayo para sa Pilipino. I said we will borrow, we will sell, pati yung Mt. Apo maganda 'yan, iyo na yan, solohin mo.”
Duterte earlier announced a P200-billion social amelioration program to help daily-wage earners and poor families who have lost income because of lockdowns enforced to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
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