THE Land Bank of the Philippines on Tuesday said it will implement additional measures to strictly enforce social distancing in its branches, following reports that cash subsidy beneficiaries formed lines stretching blocks to claim financial assistance.
In a statement, LANDBANK said it has coordinated with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), concerned local government units (LGUs), and the Philippine National Police (PNP) for assistance in crowd management.
“(LANDBANK) will release to at least 500 beneficiaries per branch, per day, to control the queuing system and waiting time,” the statement read.
This comes as drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs), among the beneficiaries of the government’s cash subsidy program, formed lines stretching blocks, forcing the individuals to forego social distancing measures against the coronavirus.
Under the government’s social amelioration program, beneficiaries will be given a monthly subsidy of P5,000 to P8,000 for two months, to be computed based on the minimum daily wage rates in their respective regions.
“After the Holy Week, an unusually large volume of drivers rushed to LANDBANK branches to claim their cash grants, which is part of the social amelioration program (SAP) of the national government,” said LANDBANK.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) earlier this month said the emergency cash subsidy covers drivers of public utility jeepneys (PUJs), UV Express, public utility buses (PUBs), point-to-point buses, taxis, transport network vehicle services (TNVS), school transport, and motorcycle taxis.(GMA News)
