TACLOBAN CITY- In the light of President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to release the P5,000 financial assistance to the survivors of supertyphoon “Yolanda”, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is coming up with a clean list – checking on the spelling of names, ensuring no double entry and the recipients have not received any housing assistance and the emergency cash assistance (ESA) earlier given to the survivors.
According to Vina Aquino, DSWD regional information officer, DSWD Director Marita Pimentel Field Operations Officer under Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, visited Tacloban City to explain the criteria and the mechanics in facilitating the validation of some 62,196 claimants from the region.
The President has released P2 billion to the DSWD after the third commemoration of the Yolanda tragedy last November 8, 2016.
On his visit last January 25, he reminded Taguiwalo why the new cash assistance of P5,000 has not been released to the survivors.
Pimentel said the final list will be submitted to the Office of the President on February 10 of this year.
She, however, emphasized that there would be no additional lists submitted beyond the Yolanda’s third anniversary anniversary where Pres. Duterte made the pronouncement.
She said that the last count is 194,000, with over 61,000 claimants coming from Eastern Visayas.
Pimentel said that those who will have access to the grant are those from the list submitted by non-governmental organizations and people’s organizations, the list of unfunded ESA beneficiaries submitted to the Department of Budget and Management, and those grievances validated by the DSWD.
Those identified for shelter assistance from the government or have already acquired housing, will be excluded from the benefit, Pimentel pointed out.
Families who totally lost their houses received P30,000 as their ESA while those whose houses sustained damages received P10,000.
Pimentel said the DSWD is also finalizing on the mechanism, adding that the funds from the Office of the President will be coursed to the DSWD and then go direct to Land Bank of the Philippines.
She also stated that for Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries who are included in the list, there would be no problem as they have already the cash card.
The beneficiaries of the new cash grant will come from the Yolanda corridors or the provinces affected from Eastern Visayas, Panay, Cebu and Palawan.
(VICKY C. ARNAIZ)
