With less than 48 hours before Metro Manila’s 13 million residents are placed under another two-week lockdown, former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno distributed P10,000 in cash aid to 100 beneficiaries on Wednesday, August 4.
More than 8,000 online viewers joined Cayetano and Moreno as they gave out financial assistance to beneficiaries in Metro Manila and from other parts of the country during the Sari-Saring Bayanihan livestream event on the Alan Peter Cayetano Facebook page.
The event was part of Cayetano’s Sari-sari Store Community program which aims to provide sari-sari store owners with capital and microenterprise training
It draws inspiration from Cayetano’s “Presyo, Trabaho, Kita” action plan which he launched in 2013 to help different cooperatives from all over the country grow.
The latest edition came two days before the National Capital Region (NCR) was to go on stricter regulations under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
During the event, the former Speaker repeatedly advised the public to stay indoors as much as possible and continue to get tested.
“Basta may symptoms, kailangan magpatingin at mag-isolate na (If you have symptoms, you need to see a doctor and be isolated),” he said.
Cayetano informed viewers that his team had also prepared relief goods for people living near Taal volcano, which had been showing signs of activity in recent weeks, prompting evacuations.
For his part, Moreno assured the public that his instruction to Manila police was to help people in case they need to go out for medical check ups, vaccination appointments, or essential errands.
“May QR Code naman. I don’t think na binibiru-biro ng mga tao ang Delta (variant). Tayo sa gobyerno, kung gusto natin pagkatiwalaan ng mga tao, pagkatiwalaan din natin ang salita ng mga tao,” he said.
(There are QR codes anyway. I don’t think people are taking the Delta variant lightly. We in government, if we want people to trust us, we have to trust them too.)
During the livestream, a randomly selected viewer received a total of P17,400 in monetary aid — P10,000 from Cayetano’s ayuda and an additional P7,400 based on the total number of viewers which hit 7,400..
Joining Cayetano and Moreno during the livestream were Taguig 2nd District Rep. Maria Laarni “Lani” Cayetano, Anakalusugan Partylist Rep. Michael “Mike” Defensor, Bulacan 1st District Rep. Jose Antonio “Kuya” Sy-Alverado, Camarines Sur 2nd District Rep. Luis Raymund “Lray” Villafuerte, Batangas 2nd District Rep. Raneo “Ranie” Abu and Laguna 1st District Rep. Danilo “Dan” Fernandez.
Wednesday’s event is part of the Sampung Libong Pag-Asa initiative launched by Cayetano and his allies in Congress in May to lobby for the inclusion of P10,000 in cash aid for every Filipino family under the proposed Bayanihan 3 Act.
It is a key part of Cayetano’ economic recovery plan to provide Filipino families with cash assistance to help them purchase their basic needs and revive their sources of income amid the ongoing pandemic.###
