SWS: Gov't cash aid recipients barely increased in November
MANILA, Philippines — A late 2020 survey has found that 69% of Filipino families were reached last year by government's financial aid over the course of the pandemic, but such result showed that there had been no increase in recipients since July.
Local pollster Social Weather Stations on Thursday said there was barely any difference from the number of those who received the assistance from the 71% in September 2020, and before that, 72% in July.
The survey, which ran from November 21 to 25, would mean that among its 1,500 respondents, 29% had no aid reaching them, 2% solely relying on what the private sector extended, and 5% getting from both government and private institutions, with a sampling error margin of ±2.5%.
They were asked: “Mula noong nagsimula ang krisis sa Covid-19, nakatanggap na po ba ang inyong pamilya ng kahit na anong tulong na pera mula sa kahit na anong sangay o ahensiya ng gobyerno?
(Since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis, did your family receive help like money from any branch or agency of government?).”
The Duterte administration's coronavirus cash aid ran during the Luzon-wide lockdown from March to May, with a second tranche of the assistance securing funding and given from August to September.
Some 54% of those who received financial aid said they got it once, while 46% said twice, SWS added. On average, families got P8,970, while those who got help from the private sector received P6,435.
Significantly, the results continued to show an underlying gap among families who were recipients per area.
Those in Metro Manila got the most at 83%, Luzon at 68%, Visayas at 67% and Mindanao with the lowest at 63%. Comparing it from the last survey, NCR inched a single percent below, Luzon at 70%, Visayas at 73% and Mindanao at 64%.
"Among families that received money-help from the government, the average number of times they got it was 1.6 times in both Metro Manila and Balance Luzon, 1.5 times in the Visayas, and 1.3 times in Mindanao," the SWS added.
Residents of the capital region also got the highest average amount, and from the private sector, they received help more frequent along with those in Luzon compared with Visayas and Mindanao.
Further, households with heads who have less education background got smaller amounts from government.
SWS said families with heads who did not finish elementary and received help got an average of P7,595, smaller than the average of those who had further education ranging from P9,024 to P10,056.
Metro Manila mayors in September had lamented the delay in the distribution of the COVID-19 cash assistance in its second tranche, saying many residents had already been complaining.
Despite the said public sentiment as 2020 drew to a close, another SWS survey showed that 8 out of 10 Filipinos or 84% were approved of the administration's handling of the pandemic.
Its response to the health crisis, however, has continued to meet hurdles, with the issue at that time on financial assistance now shifted on its vaccination program.
Government is targeting to inoculate 50 to 70 million Filipinos this year, but its move to purchase 25 million doses of China's Sinovac, whose results and price remain unclear, faces doubts.
And as several parts of the world begin their vaccination in a bid to move forward from the pandemic, issues on purchase, storage and gaining the public's trust on the jabs remain unresolved at home.
Health officials have since said that they would mount a campaign on the vaccines' safety. The earliest vaccines, government said, is seen to arrive by next month.
But administration officials' remarks, such as urging Filipinos to accept the illegal vaccination of the president's security, as well as telling the public to not be picky on brands of the vaccines, are viewed by many as not helping the efforts.
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