The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has announced a P63.8-million fund to support the local arts and culture sector amid the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

In a statement, NCCA chair Nick Lizaso said the amount augments its initial P4-million quick response cash assistance program, which has provided P5,000 each to 1,000 artists and cultural workers who have lost their sources of income due to the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

Of the P63.8-million approved budget, P6.4 million will be used to continue the cash assistance and cover an additional 1,250 beneficiaries from the amelioration program of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole), as well as those endorsed by the Artists Welfare of the Philippines and Film Academy of the Philippines.

The NCCA endorses artists, cultural workers as beneficiaries of the Dole program.

The remaining P57.4 million will be used to support committee-driven grants, subsidy programs, online projects and activities. It will be distributed to the NCCA’s 19 national committees covering various art forms and cultural disciplines.

Lizaso said the national committees would decide how their respective budgets would be used, with a maximum amount of P5,000 for each beneficiary. —Lito B. Zulueta INQ