Social welfare dept to release PHP513.7-M in emergency shelter aid for families rendered homeless by ‘Nina’

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)(Pictured) is set to release PHP513.7 million anytime soon as initial funding for its Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) for those whose houses were partially or totally damaged by Typhoon Nina. (Photo: Department of Social Welfare and Development/ Facebook)

MANILA –The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is set to release PHP513.7 million anytime soon as initial funding for its Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) for those whose houses were partially or totally damaged by Typhoon Nina.

The department will give PHP10,000 in assistance to each affected family whose house was partially damaged, and PHP30,000 to each family whose house was totally damaged. The DSWD will provide an initial amount of PHP5,000 and release the rest of the amount after the department assesses and validates the extent of damage on the houses.

The department would need PHP4.35 billion to fund the ESA for some 248,242 households.

Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo disclosed that she has already endorsed the department’s rehabilitation plan for the ESA to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) for funding.

“We are doing everything that we can to immediately provide the ESA to households who lost their homes due to ‘Nina’. We want them to be able to start rebuilding their houses, so they can also rebuild their lives,” Taguiwalo said.

The social welfare chief earlier ordered the deployment of three quick response teams (QRTs) to the affected regions to assist the field offices in assessing and validating the damaged houses.

’Nina’ affected 547,237 families or 2.4 million individuals in the Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and Eastern Visayas regions when it barreled through the country last December 24-27. It displaced thousands of families but most of them have returned home, with only 535 families or 2,663 persons still staying in 30 evacuation centers.

A total of PHP245.9 million worth of relief assistance has been provided to affected families, with PHP228.4 coming from the department, PHP6.1 million from local government units (LGUs), and PHP11.4 million from non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Meanwhile, the DSWD continues to coordinate with concerned LGUs on the status of the 507 families or 2,206 individuals displaced by Tropical Depression Auring, who are still staying in 13 evacuation centers in the Caraga region.

DSWD-Caraga has been coordinating with the LGUs of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur to ensure the provision of family food packs, and food and non-food items to the evacuees.

‘Auring’ has affected a total of 9,132 families or 38,950 individuals in 167 barangays in Central Visayas and Caraga when it hit northeastern Mindanao and Western Visayas last weekend.

A total of PHP2.5 million worth of relief assistance has been provided to the affected families, with PHP732,051 coming from the department and PHP1.8 million from LGUs.