About 2,000 Pasig residents will be receiving the small loan grants amounting PHP5,000 to PHP10,000 under the city government’s Tulong at Pampuhunang Ayuda sa Taga-Pasig (TAPAT) program beginning Friday.

In a social media post, Mayor Vico Sotto said the city government will release the loan funding for the first batch of TAPAT loan grantees.

Around 2,000 TAPAT beneficiaries have been approved to receive the loan packages, he added.

The small loans offered by the city government could help sustain the economic recovery of the city and its residents amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, Sotto said.

The local government has partnered with PayMaya to distribute the small loan offers via e-payment.

The local government earlier allotted a PHP200-million budget to provide financial loans to about 20,000 to 40,000 residents hard-hit by the health crisis.

There are three types of loans with zero interest rates under the program, which include Balik Negosyo, Bagong Negosyo, and Balik Trabaho.

The Balik Trabaho offers a PHP5,000 loan to displaced workers or those who were laid off due to the Covid-19 crisis.

The Bagong Negosyo is offering a loan of PHP10,000 for displaced workers who wish to start a small business during the pandemic.

The Balik Negosyo, meanwhile, offers a PHP10,000 loan package for the city entrepreneurs who are in need of financial resources to modify their micro, small, and medium enterprises.

The loan can also be used by the business owners to comply with the required city government’s minimum health standards and safety measures to halt the spread of Covid-19.

Mandatory face masks, shields

On the other hand, the Pasig city council has passed an ordinance imposing the mandatory use of face shields in public transport, workplaces, wet market, and general merchandise stores.

Residents are reminded that wearing face shields inside the Pasig Mega Market is strictly imposed along with the “no face mask, no face shield, no entry” policy.

“Tandaan: Ang face shield ay hindi dapat ituring na alternatibo sa face mask (Note: The face shield should not be considered an alternative to the face mask),” the city government said in an advisory on Thursday.

Further, the city government continues to provide its residents with free enhanced chemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) testing for Covid-19.

The city government will be opening 300 slots per day and it should be reserved on a “first-come, first-serve basis”.

Pasig residents are reminded to reserve a slot first before going to the testing venue because walk-in reservations are strictly not allowed.

Residents can call for reservations through the testing hotlines: 0928-2911716 or 0928-2911717. Residents can also visit the bit.ly/pasigcovidantibodytesting for reservations.

The testing is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Pasig City Hall’s Tanghalang Pasigueño. (PNA)