Day 6 of the implementation of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila saw 51 new beneficiaries receiving P10,000 in cash aid from former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and his allies from the Balik sa Tamang Serbisyo (BTS) sa Kongreso.
This time, the beneficiaries of the Sampung Libong Pag-asa program were from the sales and merchandising sector — cashiers, salespersons, gas station attendants, and more — who have been displaced by the ECQ in Metro Manila from August 6 to 20, 2021.
The Sampung Libong Pag-asa program, a live virtual program that is broadcast from Cayetano’s Facebook page, is being held daily this week in response to the ECQ, which has affected more workers who are on a no-work-no-pay basis.
“Ngayong ECQ, ito pong mga nasa sales isa po yan sa malaking grupo na masipag at nag-tiyatyaga, at sila po ay nakakatulong sa marami. Kaya lang, no work, no pay sila ngayon,” Cayetano said.
(These employees are known for their hard work, and they have truly helped a lot of people. However, they are on a no work, no pay arrangement during the ECQ.)
Out of the 51 beneficiaries, 30 were selected from the cities of Marikina, Mandaluyong, and Valenzuela.
An additional 21 persons were selected from the comments section of the Facebook livestream.
Cayetano was accompanied by Bulacan 1st District Rep. Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado from the Balik sa Tamang Serbisyo (BTS) sa Kongreso during the program, which garnered a total viewership of more than 200,000 people.
Launched last May, the Sampung Libong Pag-Asa gives P10,000 in financial assistance to select individuals affected by the pandemic.
As of August 11, 2021, a total of 8,065 have already received the cash assistance.
Cayetano spearheaded the initiative in order to campaign for the inclusion of the P10,000 financial aid provision under the Bayanihan 3.
Since filing the 10K Ayuda Bill on February 1, Cayetano and his allies in Congress have been pushing for the passage of a P10,000 cash aid per family to help them purchase their basic needs while having enough left to put up their own micro-enterprise amid the pandemic.
The bill was procedurally considered under the House-approved Bayanihan 3 but the P10,000 cash aid provision was not adopted.
