The Department of Social Welfare and Development already explained the process of how to avail the social amelioration program aimed to help the people affected by the enhanced community quarantine.

On Tuesday, DSWD published a video to teach the netizens how to avail of the social amelioration package from the government.

DSWD will provide social amelioration measures amounting to P5,000 to P8,000 for two months to families belonging to vulnerable sectors who have been affected by the community quarantine amid the COVID-19 crisis as mandated by Republic Act  (RA) 11469 or the “Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.”

The help will be distributed first in the form of food assistance, then after that they’re going to distribute it in the form of cash.

Photo: Usec. Annalyn M. Sevilla

Here are the steps on how to avail the package:

• The local government units (LGUs) are going to distribute the Social Amelioration Card (SAC) to their constituents.
• LGUs are required to distribute the card house-to-house.
• The applicant is going to receive two copies of the SACs, one copy for the IATF, and one copy for the beneficiary.
• The head of the family is going to list down the information of his/her kin in the SAC.
• The information should be written in all capital letters.
• The applicant should ensure that all the information they put in the SAC is complete.
• A representative of the LGU is going to visit their house again to get the form.
• You should only give the IATF copy to the LGU and keep the beneficiary copy for reference and monitoring.
• The social amelioration package is going to be distributed by the DSWD via LGUs.

DSWD clarified that the SAC form is only a ‘validation tool’ to see the families who need the most help from the government and receiving SAC doesn’t mean that you’re automatically a beneficiary.

“Ang lahat po ay nilalayon naming makatanggap ng Social Amerlioration Progran sublalit ang pagpapamahagi po ay naayon sa lebel ng pangangailangan. Kung kaya’t ang inyong pong kooperasyon, pagbibigayan at pangunawa ay higit na kinakailangan,” DSWD said in the video they published.

For more information, you can call the DSWD hotline 8-951-2803.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles already said that the social amelioration package should be distributed as soon as possible by the government.

Nograles ensured that only the eligible people are going to receive the help because aside from the LGUs they’re also going to look at the database of DSWD to see the list of families that really belong to the vulnerable sector.

“Yung national database po punong puno po yan ng lahat ng beneficiaries mula sa DSWD, mula sa DOLE, mula DA, at iba pang mga ahensya ng gobyerno… so lahat po yan ay naka centralize na sa database ng DSWD, so lahat ng government agencies are required to share their database ng beneficiaries nila para yung DSWD nalang ang mag coconsolidate ng listahan ng mga beneficiaries,” Nograles said.

“Mula sa database na yon ay makikita po natin kung sino yung kwalipikado based dito sa joint memorandum circular ng social amelioration program, so yun po yung mauuna nating bibigyan sa pasada na yan, habang ginagawa po natin yan ay hihingin po natin yung listahan mula sa LGUs at kasama na diyan mula yung sa barangay kapitan pero dapat ang pagbibigay ng listahan ay based sa guidelines natin yung kwalipikado na beneficiaries,” he added.

According to the joint memorandum circular, their target beneficiaries are families belong to either poor or informal sector which are at risk of not earning a living during the enhanced community quarantine, who may have at least one member belonging to any of the following vulnerable or disadvantaged sectors:

• Senior Citizens
• Persons with Disability
• Pregnant and Lactating Women
• Solo Parents
• Overseas Filipinos in Distress
• Indigent Indigenous Peoples
• Underprivileged Sector and Homeless Citizens
• Informal Economy Workers

President Rodrigo Duterte warned the Local Government Units (LGUs) not to attempt to corrupt the help going to be sent by the national government, including the funds for the ‘biggest social protection program’ in the country’s history.

According to him, public officials should not act like they own the money of the people and they must honestly distribute the help to their constituents.

“I will see to it even tomorrow, if I discover some embezzlements, some hoarding there, at dina-divert ‘yung pagkain sa mga tao na dapat hindi sa kanila, you better think. I am not a cruel man. Pero kung may report ang pulis, I will order your detention hanggang matapos itong COVID-19,” Duterte said in his televised address.

“Sabi ko huwag ngayon. Huwag na huwag kayong mandaya, mangurakot at taguin ‘yung mga pagkain at ‘yung iba hindi bigyan kasi… You know, people sometimes think that they own whatever they receive from government. This is not yours, neither is it mine,” he added.

The President then vowed to punish every public official that would attempt to use the money of the government for personal purposes.

“Pero kung mamulitika ka tapos mabalitaan ko na ‘yan ang nagawa mo, I will suspend you ora mismo. And for those who are really absconding the money, I will detain you, I said, and maybe I will release you pagkatapos ng COVID.”

Yesterday, President Duterte announced the 200-B social protection measures for the poor and called it the “largest and widest social protection program in the country’s history,”.

Under the “Bayanihan to Heal As One Law” low-income households should receive P5,000 to P8,000 monthly from the government for two months.

Senator Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan III asked President Rodrigo Duterte if he already did anything since he signed the Bayanihan to Heal as One law.

In a Facebook post, Pangilinan who’s also the president of the Liberal Party asked the Duterte administration about the promises they made to the people like the food packs, money and personal protective equipment (PPE).

“Where is the money? PPEs, food packs? Plan?” Pangilinan said.

The said law gives the President special powers to hasten the procurement of necessities.

It also includes the monthly ₱5,000 to ₱8,000 emergency subsidy for 18 million low-income households for up to two months.

Pangilinan cited that The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) led by Duterte was required to submit a weekly report about the progress made by the national government since the special powers were given to the chief executive.

“It’s been five days since the emergency powers, and as required by law, IATF needs to submit to Congress and effectively to the people a progress report every week,” the Senator who also voted in favor of the Bayanihan law said.

“We’re almost halfway in our enhanced community quarantine, at katulad ng nabanggit natin sa ating pahayag nang ipasa ng Senado itong batas na ito, gusto nating makita na ipinapatupad ang batas at inilalaan ang pondo nang ayon dito at gaya ng inaasahan,” he added.

One of the most notable progress made by the Duterte administration since the activation of Bayanihan Law was the purchase of 1,000,000 pieces of PPEs worth P1.8-B to address the shortage of equipment being used by the medical frontliners in the country.

The President was expected to address the nation tonight and probably going to inform the people about the actions made by the government during the first week of the Bayanihan law.

Senator Manny Pacquiao said that worldly riches are valueless now amid the C̶O̶V̶I̶D̶-19 crisis happening in the Philippines and other countries.

In a statement, Pacquiao who’s under home quarantine said that having too much money is useless nowadays because people couldn’t go out to spend their money and wearing luxury things are pointless because no one would see it.

According to him, the enhanced community quarantine is the right time to spend more time with your family.

“Walang value ‘yung pera ngayon no? Kahit ang dami mong pera, wala kang mabili, kasi lahat sarado. Kahit anong ganda ng kotse mo ngayon, wala kang mapuntahan. Kahit LV o Gucci pa suot mo, nasa bahay ka lang din naman,” Pacquiao said.

“In this time of crisis, you’ll appreciate more all your memories and quality time with your families and friends. ‘Yun lang yung meron tayong lahat ngayon,” he added.

He then told the people that after the crisis, they should be more humble and focus on having a relationship with God than seeking more wealth.

“Kaya pagtapos ng lockdown na ito, we should learn to humble ourselves na it is not the material things that we should crave for. It is about our relationship to God and the memories and the legacy that we will leave to our children,” he said.

Pacquiao is one of the most richest Filipinos in the Philippines, but he’s also known for being religious and humble because of experiencing poverty before he became a successful boxer.

A few days ago, Pacquiao was ordered by the officials of Dasmarinas village in Makati to undergo quarantine after having contact with Senator Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel III who tested positive in the said virus.

The Mayor of Angeles City Carmelo ‘Pogi’ Lazatin was receiving criticisms on social media after he ordered the closure of a private hospital for accepting a c̶o̶r̶o̶n̶a̶v̶i̶r̶u̶s̶ patient from another place.

According to the City Information Office of Angeles City, the Philippine Rehabilitation Institute (PRI) in Barangay Pampang admitted a c̶o̶r̶o̶n̶a̶v̶i̶r̶u̶s̶ positive and three people under investigation from Quezon City which according to Lazatin is against the agreement between his government and the hospital.

He accused PRI of endangering the people of Angeles, that’s why he ordered the total lockdown of the hospital.

“PRI has put the entire Angeles City in danger. Pinalusutan nila tayo ng positive patient na hindi taga rito,” Lazatin said.

Lazatin also ordered the Business Permit and Licensing Divison to immediately revoke the business permit of PRI.

“The city government will also prepare legal actions against PRI for putting the entire Angeles City in danger. Under my term, hindi na mabubuksan yang hospital na yan,” Lazatin said.

Mayor Pogi also ordered the law enforcers in Angeles to be more strict in guarding the borders of the city.

“Wala na pong makakapasok sa syudad Angeles maliban na lamang sa pagkain, medical emergency na hindi connected sa COVID 19 at yung iilang nakasaad sa direktiba ng DILG,” Lazatin said.

Lazatin also deployed policemen and barangay tanods to make sure that no one could get out of PRI building, even if they’re nurses or doctors.

Meanwhile, PRI said in a statement that they’re the only private hospital in Angeles City agreed to become the COVID-19 center.

They also said that the agreement between their hospital and Angeles City was not finalized because of the lack of support from the LGU.

“Since the first meeting on March 19, 2020, PRI Medical Center got 1 gallon of alcohol and one infrared scanner from the Local Government Unit,” the statement read.

PRI also informed the Mayor that they could not refuse any patients, citing their Hippocratic Oath to treat anyone regardless of race, religion, and ethnicity.

The hospital also narrated that all the hospital staffs were in full PPE gear when the patients from Quezon City arrived.

According to them, the patients include a 66-year old cardiologist, his wife, his nephew, and his driver.

They also assured the people of Angeles that they did proper security measures to ensure the safety of the communities near the hospital.

Meanwhile, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) reminded local government officials that they have no right to close down any hospitals.

“Hindi pupuwede ‘yun. May mga procedures naman tayo kung papaano ihahandle ‘yung isang PUI (person under investigation) o positive COVID patient. ‘Yan ay global problem, hindi pupuwede ‘yung ‘babakuran namin ito,'” DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said in a Dobol B sa News TV interview.

“Lalo ngayon kailangan natin ang lahat ng Level 2, Level 3 hospitals, may atas ang DOH (Department of Health) na ready silang tumanggap ng COVID patients,” he added.

Año said that they already talked with Lazatin about the issue and already decided to allow the PRI to operate again.

The DILG Sec also urged all LGUs to help each other amid the crisis being faced by the country.

(DEVELOPING NEWS)

A civilian jet aircraft used for a medical evacuation crashed while attempting to leave Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Sunday night.

The aircraft which identified as an Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) 1124A Westwind aircraft exploded at runway 24, of the Manila International Airport, the aircraft has a registration number RPC 5880 owned by Lion Air aircraft.

Some reports also said that it was one of the aircraft chartered by the Department of Health (DOH) to carry medical supplies across the country.

Photos and videos of the crash have circulated on social media.

As of writing the fire is now under control.

It’s not yet known how many passengers were affected by the incident.

Some members of the Philippine PlaneSpotters Group on Facebook claimed that all people inside the aircraft didn’t survive the incident.

A document also showed that there are 6 crews and 2 passengers inside the plane during that flight.

Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippine Red Cross confirmed that the eight passengers are consisting of a flight medic, nurse, doctor, three flight crew, one patient and its companion.

It also indicated that the plane was planned to travel to Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) released a statement confirming that no passenger survived the incident.

”The runway has been temporarily closed, as investigators from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines are now on site to determine the cause of the incident,” DOTR statement read.

Actress Agot Isidro couldn’t stop herself to release her anger on social media and joined other netizens from criticizing Senator Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel III.

Pimentel was chastised for accompanying his wife in Makati Medical Center despite waiting for his coronavirus test results, which turned out to be positive.

Isidro described the action of Pimentel as “reckless endangerment” for not following the quarantine procedures and insisted to expose frontliners working at Makati Med.

“You had yourself tested, you broke quarantine guidelines, you visited a hospital, risking the health of the many doctors and nurses and patients there… Hindi mo nakuha yung memo ni influencer, no??? Di nag-iisip eh. Reckless endangerment yan di ba?” Isidro said.

You had yourself tested, you broke quarantine guidelines, you visited a hospital, risking the health of the many doctors and nurses and patients there…

Hindi mo nakuha yung memo ni influencer, no??? ?

Di nag-iisip eh. Reckless endangerment yan di ba? ???

— Agot Isidro (@agot_isidro) March 25, 2020

Because of what happened, Isidro declared that the government that her critics have been defended might put everyone in danger.

“At gusto ninyo kami magtiwala sa gobyerno? Ang gobyernong ito ang papatay sa atin,” she tweeted.

At gusto ninyo kami magtiwala sa gobyerno?

Ang gobyernong ito ang papatay sa atin.

— Agot Isidro (@agot_isidro) March 25, 2020

She also told Pimentel that he should not ask the public for sympathy due to the gravity of what he did.

“Your privilege discriminated other people from taking the test. You knew you were at risk! Sumusunod kami sa patakaran. Senador ka, kayo ang gumagawa ng mga patakaran. At magpapaawa ka ngayon? Wag kami, Koko. Wag ngayon,” she told Pimentel.

Your privilege discriminated other people from taking the test. You knew you were at risk!

Sumusunod kami sa patakaran. Senador ka, kayo ang gumagawa ng mga patakaran.

At magpapaawa ka ngayon?
Wag kami, Koko. Wag ngayon. https://t.co/PK5Wn00CgJ

— Agot Isidro (@agot_isidro) March 25, 2020

Isidro is currently doing volunteer work to help the frontliners at the Office of the Vice President.

Hi Agot Isidro, thank you for being our all-around volunteer today. Driver, dispatcher, kargador, tiga-deliver. ♥️ #AngatBuhay #CoviD19Response pic.twitter.com/FgLeElZJIT

— raffy magno (@raffymagno) March 27, 2020

The actress is a known critic of President Rodrigo Duterte on social media and became famous to the government defenders and critics after she called the chief executive ‘psychopath’.

GMA broadcaster Atom Araullo gets criticized on social media after he argued with infectious disease expert Dr. Edsel Salvana about the COVID-19 test statistics.

Yesterday, the clash between the two on Twitter started when Dr. Salvana tried to correct Araullo who compared the testing being done by the Philippines to other countries like Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia.

Salvana who’s currently a PUI is known for being active on Twitter and trying to explain the government’s action to the netizens and.

“It’s wrong kasi positive patients get multiple tests until they are negative. Some positive patients may get as many as 10 tests,” Salvana said.

“Atom, the 2147 test is inaccurate. Its not as simple as adding the COVID tracker numbers. Positive patients get many repeate tests until they turn negative. The actual tests performed is 11,466. Capacity now at more than 1000 test/day. DOH will update,” he added.

Araullo responded to Salvana and called the latter tweets as ‘misleading at best’ and ‘malicious at worst’.

“I’m sorry to say but your tweets are misleading at best, and malicious at worst. I was NOT referring to a total number of tests but individuals tested. This is what the DOH tracks anyway. So Hindi pala inaccurate yung data,” he said.

The conversation has gone viral on social media and gained different reactions from the netizens.

Some of them even criticized Salvana and mocked him for allegedly not getting the point of Araullo.

Dr. Salvana’s sister, May Salvana-Unchuan couldn’t stop herself and slammed Araullo on Facebook for ‘disrespecting’ her brother, saying that the former is risking his life to fight coronavirus.

She asked Araullo to be productive instead of criticizing the government and the people trying to solve the crisis.

According to her, despite being sick, her brother tried to contribute to the fight against COVID by informing people on social media.

“Dear Mr Atom Araullo instead of disrespecting and maligning my brother who is THE infectious disease expert and who has been risking his life trying to help stop this disease from killing all of us, why don’t you become productive and try to contribute to help solving the problem instead of being negative. My brother is already sick and stressed trying to multitask while in quarantine and trying to find multiple ways to help save our country and has barely enough time answering legit queries and then you bash him on twitter tapos he has to spend his precious time answering you pa! For your information he has been away from his family for too long nga and sacrificing every ounce of his strength to serve!!” she said.

“Are you an authority in Covid 2019? Do you have the credentials and evidence to take opinions of experts and say that its misleading or malicious? What have you been doing anyway? Are you risking your life like us frontliners? Mas mabuti pa gumawa ka nalang ng mask or magluto ka ng food at ibigay mo sa mga health workers kung wala ka na talagang magawa,” she added.

RJ ‘Thinking Pinoy’ Nieto also gave a comment on the clash between Araullo and Salvana, saying that the scientist is “indispensable” while the GMA-7 journalist is not really important during these times.

“I am sorry, @AtomAraullo, but @EdselSalvana is one of the nation’s leading experts on COVID-19. He can be condescending at times, but so are most geniuses. He’s a scientist, not a communicator, so set your ego aside and be more patient. Right now, Salvana is indispensable and you are not,” Nieto said.

In his latest post, Nieto also asked Araullo and other Twitter users if they could perform the duties being done by Salvana.

“Kung mabuwisit yan at hindi na magsikap para humanap ng solusyon, pwede ba kayong ipalit? Marunong kayong magpaandar ng COVID testing machines? Marunong kayong umintindi ng ibinubugang data ng mga yon?” he said.

“Sa ngayon atom, walang kwenta ang Applied Physics degree mo. Yung degree ni Edsel, indispensable. Kaya magpakumbaba ka lintik ka dahil pag namuryot sa atin yang Edsel na yan, hindi na yan magsasalita. O ano na pagkatapos noon, pwede ka ba namin gawing resource person para sa COVID-19 testing, Atom?” he added.