TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) vowed to release within six months the P5,000 cash aid for supertyphoon “Yolanda” survivors who were left out during the distribution of emergency shelter assistance (ESA).
DSWD Secretary Jody Taguiwalo said on Jan. 25 that there is an ongoing validation of 194,000 beneficiaries in the Visayas who have filed complaints at their office before Nov. 8, 2016.
“While the validation is ongoing, we also have to decide on the mode of payment – by cash, check or cards,” Taguiwalo told reporters.
On Nov. 8, 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte announced the distribution of P5,000 ESA to selected Yolanda survivors.
The DSWD needs about P1 billion funds from the Office of the President for the distribution of across- the- board cash assistance.
The agency has only P46 million remaining funds for Yolanda survivors, just enough for administrative cost.
“The beneficiaries are people who have worked in the past three years to claim what is rightfully theirs. This is in recognition of people who have been asking for justice,” Taguiwalo said.
Between 2013 to 2015, the government had distributed P30,000 ESA for families with totally damaged houses and P10,000 for those with partially damaged houses.
The President also announced the provision of additional P3,000 for livelihood support of selected survivors.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO)
