DSWD assures aids to residents affected by Boracay closure

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Saturday assured assistance to individuals, who will be heavily affected by the closure of Boracay. (Shutterstock)

MANILA — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Saturday assured assistance to individuals, who will be heavily affected by the closure of Boracay.

“As long as we can, we will provide the assistance they need,” said DSWD Officer-in-charge Emmanuel Leyco in an interview with the Philippine News Agency.

Leyco said the DSWD is committed to provide assistance to those who would be affected to help them recover.

He said that DSWD programs such as Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) would be among the agency’s tool to help the affected residents, especially those belonging to the informal sector.

“Aside from AICS, we also have other programs such as Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) there to help them,” the DSWD official said.

He said that the agency would preposition relief items in strategic locations in Aklan, which can be augmented to affected local government units.

The agency will focus on the assistance to help residents have sources of income, he added.

“We will provide some capital assistance that they can use for the livelihood that they will engage in, (so that) they will be able to cope to meet their daily needs, ” Leyco said.

DSWD has opened offices in Barangay Manok-manok and in Malay in mainland Boracay to heed and address the immediate concerns of the residents.

He also said the agency is ready to use its disaster calamity funds when needed to help residents.