Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 7) — More than nine million Filipino households may expect to receive cash aid from the government “in a few weeks” as increasing commodity prices persist, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said Tuesday.
Ito ay ₱500 for two months, ₱1,000 for 9.3 million households. Baka in a few weeks mabibigay na ‘to sa naaapektuhan ng inflation,” he said during a Palace briefing.[Translation: This is ₱500 for two months, ₱1,000 for 9.3 million households. Maybe in a few weeks, it will be given to those affected by inflation.]The government is also ready to extend other assistance, such as fertilizer discount vouchers and fuel discounts for farmers and fisherfolk. The transportation sector will also get fuel subsidies, Diokno added.Diokno said there is a total of ₱26.6 billion worth of subsidies for the vulnerable sector.The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that inflation slightly eased to 8.6% last month from January’s 8.7%.Only the transport group contributed to the downtrend of the February inflation, while nine commodity groups continued to post high inflation.Despite the nagging inflation numbers, Diokno insisted that the Philippine economy remained “sound.
