The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released PHP100 billion to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to cover the funding requirements for the social amelioration programs to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

The release is in pursuant to Republic Act (RA) No. 11469, or the “Bayanihan to Heal as One” Act.

Specifically, the released amount shall be used for the protective services for individuals and families especially in difficult circumstances, or assistance to individuals in crisis situations, and shall be extended to the target low-income household beneficiaries in the form of cash.

Said amount will be augmented once the same is liquidated and/or reported to be deficient.

To streamline and harmonize the various social amelioration programs of the government, Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 1, series of 2020, or the special guidelines on the provision of special amelioration measures to the most affected residents of the areas under enhanced community quarantine, was crafted and released by the DBM, DSWD, Department of Agriculture, Department of Finance, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Trade and Industry, and Department of the Interior and Local Government.

The released amount is expected to cover the first month requirements of the social amelioration program that will cover almost 18 million Filipino households who have been identified to be mostly vulnerable to the economic shocks brought by the Covid-19 situation.