By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
Many people, belonging to the poorest of the poor, have yet to receive cash assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as of this writing.
There are talks on whether or not the DSWD should include the middle class.
A friend of mine who identifies himself with the working class has this to say:
The middle-class people work their butts off to provide their family with a good life. Their jobs were not given as gifts. They had to work hard to get to where they are now.
When the government imposed the lockdown, these people were also affected. They continued feeding their families while many of them stopped receiving salaries, several of them lost their jobs, and some got sick with the virus or other ailment that required hospitalization. All these meant draining their savings.
Many of them now find themselves belonging to society’s poor.
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My friend says many of the poor, who claim they could not buy food for their families, are the same ones shown on social media indulging in drinking sessions on the street.
They, who would not or could not carry jobs, are the same ones pictured violating social distancing protocols.
It disappointed me when authorities arrested a man in possession of illegal drugs that he bought using the financial assistance given by the government.
Three members of a family were also arrested recently in Laoag City for gambling away a portion of the money given by DSWD.
All the while, persons with disabilities (PWDs), especially those who could no longer move on their own, have not received any money from the national or local government.
Here’s an example. Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said he provided P1,000 for everyone. But Barangay 336 officials said the mayor told them to give the money only to the holders of the quarantine pass, which is only limited to people who are under 50.
A PWD’s two children who already have families of their own were given P1,000 each. But the poor PWD and his wife, who were both more than 50 years of age, received nothing. They were out of the picture. This isn’t fair.
Yorme, can you please clarify this issue?
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