CONTINUOUS AID. Personnel of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office-Caraga distribute family food packs (FFPs) to some 6,127 family evacuees in Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur on Dec. 5, 2023. The DSWD and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) on Wednesday (Dec. 6) assured of continuous aid to families affected by two powerful earthquakes in Mindanao. (Photo courtesy of DSWD)
MANILA – The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development on Wednesday assured of continuous aid to quake victims in Mindanao whose houses were damaged by two powerful earthquakes.
In an interview over Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon, DHSUD Undersecretary for Disaster Response Randy Escolango said following the magnitude 6.8 quake that hit Sarangani, Davao Occidental on Nov. 17 and the 7.4 quake that hit Surigao del Sur on Dec. 2, Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar has ordered the activation of its shelter clusters in Caraga and Davao regions for immediate assistance to victims.
"As lead agency of the shelter cluster of the NDRRMC, the DHSUD helped in evacuating the victims, even during the tsunami warning, we helped in the evacuation. The provision of shelter-grade tarpaulins to the quake victims is also continuing,” Escolango said in Filipino.
The DHSUD official said the agency is already preparing financial aid under its Rental Subsidy and Financial Assistance Program, wherein families with totally damaged homes may receive up to PHP10,000 in cash aid.
“Ang aming mga regional offices ay inatasan na po namin na kaagad ay makipag-ugnayan sa local government units (LGUs) at ibigay ho sa amin ang mga listahan, i-evaluate agad at ipadala ho sa amin para maproseso agad at agad pong maaprubahan at mabigyan ng pondo para ho sa mga biktima ng paglindol (We have already ordered our regional offices to immediately coordinate with the LGUS and forward list of beneficiaries, validate it and give it to us for immediate processing and funding approval for the quake victims),” he said.
More than the financial aid, Escolango said families living in danger zones are among the priority beneficiaries of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s flagship Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program, where the DHSUD is also the lead implementing agency.
“Dito naman po ay may on-site or near-site resettlement po iyong mga pamilyang walang tahanan. Mula sa danger zone ay ilalagay po sila sa mga lugar na kung saan malapit po sa mga trabaho, malapit sa paaralan, malapit sa maayos na seguridad (Under the program, homeless families will have on-site or near-site resettlements. From the danger zone, they will be relocated in areas near job opportunities, schools, and secured places),” he said.
In the same media forum, DSWD Undersecretary for Innovations Eduardo Punay said the agency, which is part of the NDRRMC’s Disaster Response Cluster, also continuous to assist the affected families in Regions 11 (Davao) and 13 (Caraga).
For shelter assistance, he said the DSWD provides up to PHP25,000 for totally damaged houses, and PHP10,000 for partially damaged.
In the aftermath of the twin quakes, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian has personally visited the hardest-hit municipalities and personally led the distribution of family food packs and Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) worth PHP10,000 to affected families.
Gatchalian assured the local chief executives in Sarangani that the provision of AICS to affected locals will be completed by the DSWD Field Office before Dec. 15.
Aside from the provision of AICS, Gatchalian also announced that the agency will distribute financial support through the Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) program beginning January next year to ensure the continuous provision of recovery and rehabilitation of affected locals.
As of Nov. 26, the DSWD has already provided more than PHP39 million worth of assistance to the affected families, composed of more than PHP18 million worth of food and non-food items and more than PHP20 million in financial assistance through the AICS for affected families in both Davao Region and Soccsksargen.
Gatchalian also went to Surigao del Sur on Nov. 4 to get a first-hand assessment of the damage, attend a coordination meeting with local executives, and lead in the distribution of AICS to hundreds of affected families.
On Nov. 5, DSWD-Caraga distributed family food packs to some 6,127 family evacuees from Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur. (PNA)
