AFTER twice contracting Covid-19 that affected his health, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary, Eduardo M. Año, has been deemed fit by his physicians and has reported back to work.
DILG undersecretary and spokesman, Jonathan Malaya, said the highly-respected former Armed Forces chief officially re-assumed his duties last April 16, 2021 in “high spirits.”
“He will start by first working from home and eventually to full normal routine,” Malaya said.
Malaya said the department and Sec. Año also thank the public for respecting his privacy the past few months he is ill “and for giving him the time to rest, recuperate, and fully recover.”
“The Department thanks all those who stormed the heavens, prayed for him, and sent messages of support during a most difficult time. We are forever in your debt,” Malaya added.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement, Malaya also branded as “fake news” and “not true,” reports that the distribution of financial subsidy especially in the so-called ‘NCR+ areas’ will be discontinued with their reclassification this month as ‘MECQ’ (modified enhance community quarantine).
“It’s not true that the ayuda for NCR Plus will stop because we have shifted to MECQ. That is fake news. Though more people are now back to work, the ayuda is a commitment of government and will continue to be distributed despite the change in quarantine classification,” Malaya said.
The national government has allocated a total of P22.9 billion aimed at assisting Filipinos cope with the latest restrictions on movement caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Malaya also averred that distribution is “going smoothly” in the NCR Plus area, of which, P1.757 billion had already been distributed as of April 13, 2021 covering a near equivalent number of beneficiaries.
“We understand the challenges in the distribution of this financial aid considering the need to reach the farthest sitios and barangays. Still, we are calling on our city/municipal mayors and punong barangays to exhaust all means to ensure that the target beneficiaries will receive the ayuda the earliest possible time,” he said.