By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is racing to deliver ₱10,000 in cash assistance and food packs to vendors whose livelihoods have been disrupted by security restrictions ahead of the 49th ASEAN Summit, with the agency targeting completion of all payouts by Friday, November 13.
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the government recognizes that temporary business closures mean lost daily income for small vendors and their families, prompting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to direct the agency to provide immediate financial assistance before the regional gathering begins.
Under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program, each qualified affected vendor is set to receive ₱10,000 and family food packs.
The DSWD distributed assistance to 30 affected establishments on November 8 and another 50 beneficiaries during Wednesday’s payout at Andres Bonifacio Elementary School in Pasay City, Gatchalian said.
The agency is also preparing assistance for approximately 1,300 vendors on the Parañaque side of Baclaran. Pasay City, meanwhile, is still validating its list of affected vendors before submitting it to the DSWD.
Gatchalian acknowledged the disruption caused by the summit preparations, saying even a single day without earnings can place families dependent on daily sales in a difficult situation.
The agency said it would immediately process assistance once local governments submit their finalized beneficiary lists, with the goal of reaching all qualified vendors before the ASEAN Summit.
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