A resident of Barangay 181 in Pasay City is all smiles as she receives cash assistance from the government on Aug. 13, 2021. Pasay and the other 15 cities and lone municipality in Metro Manila are under ECQ until August 20 to curb the surge of Covid-19 largely attributed to its highly transmissible Delta variant. The cash aid program, however, is under fire after the Commission on Audit disclosed discrepancies in the distribution by local governments. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA