Moises Padilla starts releasing PHP 20M in presidential financial aid

BACOLOD CITY – The Local Government Unit (LGU) of Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental officially began distributing PHP 20 million in financial assistance from the Office of the President on Monday, February 16, at the Municipal Auditorium.

Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo led the initial rollout, during which 894 families from Barangays 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 each received PHP 1,600, bringing total disbursements on the first day to nearly PHP 1.5 million.

The distribution is scheduled to continue within the week for residents of Barangays Macagahay, Montilla, and Quintin Remo.

The LGU is currently prioritizing the first PHP 10 million tranche, which was coursed through the Provincial Government.

Mayor Garcia-Yulo explained that this portion is being disbursed first due to a strict 90-day deadline from the date of receipt and current local manpower considerations.

The remaining PHP 10 million, granted directly by the Office of the President, will be released after the first tranche is exhausted.

The mayor also addressed earlier delays in the release of the direct presidential fund, noting that the LGU had to resend documents to Malacañang after the resignation of the President’s Executive Secretary necessitated a change in the signatory for the Deed of Donation.

Mayor Garcia-Yulo further clarified that the presidential financial assistance is distinct from the Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) administered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

While the LGU manages the distribution of the presidential aid, the DSWD will conduct its own separate rollout for the ECT program.