To support the government’s efforts to assist in the economic recovery of Filipinos during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) ensures the continued provision of social protection programs to affected families as stipulated in Republic Act No. 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2).

Under Bayanihan 2, the Department is implementing the Bayanihan 2 Emergency Subsidy Program (ESP) for low-income, non-formal sector family beneficiaries affected by the declaration of community quarantine measures.

As of December 17, there are 142,058 beneficiaries who received their emergency subsidy under Bayanihan 2. Of which, 11,480 are from granular lockdown areas, while 130,578 are additional beneficiaries. The total subsidy distributed to the qualified beneficiaries reached more than P931 million.

“The emergency subsidy under Bayanihan 2 is a one-time cash grant of P5,000 to P8,000 which is being distributed to low income family beneficiaries who are physically residing in areas placed under granular lockdown from the date of effectivity of the Bayanihan 2 on September 14, 2020 certified by the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force; families of Overseas Filipino Workers who were deported or who arrived in the country from September 14 to December 19, 2020, provided that they are undocumented or displaced from their jobs abroad; and, qualified low income family beneficiaries who may not be under granular lockdown but were not included in the list submitted to DSWD during the implementation of Social Amelioration Program of Bayanihan 1.

Aside from the regular programs, DSWD implements various interventions to aid in the recovery of poor families and households through the conduct of its regular programs such as the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation, Supplementary Feeding Program, Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens Program, and the provision of food and non-food items to requesting local government units. ###