30 vendors in Pasay City to receive aid amid temporary closure for ASEAN Summit — DSWD
Replicas of artworks by renowned National Artists in the Visual Arts are displayed on tarpaulins along J.W. Diokno Boulevard in Pasay City, serving as visual barriers ahead of the ongoing preparations for the 2026 ASEAN Summit, on November 8. Nearby establishments were ordered closed by the Pasay LGU.
Photographed by Zedrich Xylak Madrid for the Daily Tribune
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported Monday that it will extend up to ₱10,000 in cash assistance and Family Food Packs (FFPs) to 30 vendors affected by the temporary closure of small businesses in Pasay City due to preparations for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit 2026 next week.
“Secretary Rex Gatchalian immediately ordered the DSWD National Capital Region to assess the vendors affected by the temporary closure of stores in Pasay City,” DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said.
“Based on the initial assessment, 30 individuals or vendors lost their income there, and they will also immediately receive cash assistance of up to ₱10,000, and they have also been given Family Food Packs,” the agency spokesperson added.
Eateries, food stalls and street vendors have been temporarily suspended for operations as part of traffic management measures around key venues where ASEAN leaders and international delegates will hold meetings.
Dumlao said the DSWD would coordinate with the Pasay City local government to determine whether there are other vendors in the area who were also affected.
“We have the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program for our vendors who wish to temporarily return to their provinces while the government’s preparations for the ASEAN Summit are ongoing,” the DSWD spokesperson said.
“Our DSWD Satellite Office in Commonwealth, Quezon City, will be open tomorrow [Tuesday], or they may simply coordinate with their respective City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) to be assisted in availing themselves of the program,” she added.
The 49th ASEAN Summit will be held on 16 to 18 November in the Philippines with more than twenty country leaders expected to attend.