Sen. Go urges govt to ensure aid reaches poor, middle class amid COVID-19

Senator Bong Go urged national government agencies to ensure that assistance reaches Filipinos from the poor to the middle class who are affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

Go emphasized that President Duterte is committed to providing aid to those most impacted, including the middle class and small businesses.

The government's priority is to assist the poorest of the poor through the Social Amelioration Program, benefiting 18 million families.

For those not covered by the emergency cash subsidy, programs from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) are available, including the COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP) for formal sector workers and the TUPAD #BKBK program for the informal sector.

The Department of Finance (DOF) and Social Security System (SSS) will provide assistance to employees of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to prevent duplication of aid.

Assistance for MSME employees may range from P5,000 to P8,000, depending on regional wage rates, with payments facilitated through various methods.

Go also thanked private companies for their contributions and appealed to big businesses to continue supporting their employees and communities during this crisis.

He stressed the importance of collective effort between the government and the private sector to overcome the economic challenges posed by the pandemic.