Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto said Monday city authorities would distribute some 260,000 food packs to indigent families during the 15-day lockdown after the national government gave the city a lower budget for cash aid or ayuda.
Sotto said Pasig received P650 million for cash aid for the lockdown, P30 million lower than what it received during the first ECQ in 2020.
"Any amount is a blessing, any amount we're thankful for pero kailangan aminin natin, ma-realize natin na hindi natin mabibigyan lahat talaga ng nangangailangan mula dito sa tulong pinansyal [ng gobyerno]," he said.
"'Di naman kami nagrereklamo, hinihingi lang namin pang-unawa ng mga tao na hindi lahat ng nakatanggap dati ay makakatanggap ngayon," said Sotto.
Indigent families will receive cash while sector-based groups, like single mothers, who initially got ayuda last year as determined by the city government may not receive money this time, he said.
The mayor said local authorities opted to hand out food packs worth around P340 instead of cash to lessen the need to go outdoors during lockdown. Roving teams will go house-to-house to distribute ayuda forms.
The local government will start distributing the cash aid and food packs on Wednesday, he said.