THE City Government of Bacolod will receive an additional of P119 million financial assistance from the national government to boost their capacity to respond to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) situation.

This was confirmed by Congressman Greg Gasataya, Monday, April 6, after President Rodrigo Duterte approved the proposed grant of financial assistance to local government units to boost their capacity to respond to the Covid-19 situation through “Bayanihan Grant to Cities and Municipalities.”

Gasataya said all LGUs will receive the financial assistance from the national government, which is equivalent to one-month Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of the LGUs.

He said this financial assistance will be used to fight the Covid-19 situation.

“Bacolod City has a monthly IRA of P119 million so with this memorandum, Bacolod City can avail the P119 million financial assistance,” he added.

Aside from the social amelioration grant, Gasataya noted that this is a new fund from the national government to address the Covid-19 situation in the city.

Gasataya said the financial assistance will be sourced from the discontinuance of P30 billion worth of infrastructure projects of the Department Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for 2020.

“This is a big help to the City to address the Covid-19 situation and it will depend to the LGU to utilize this financial assistance that relate to Covid-19,” he said.

The national government earlier allotted a total of P1.2 billion social amelioration grant from the national government under the guidelines of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).