Some 307 families from Cainta, Angono and Taytay in Rizal who were victims of typhoon ‘Ondoy’ received rice assistance under the Food-for-Work (FFW) program in exchange for community services they have rendered.

The FFW is a strategy where disaster victims will work in community rehabilitation and reconstruction projects in exchange for food. It is implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, United Nations – World Food Programme (UN-WFP), and the Adventist Development Relief Assistance (ADRA).

Social Welfare and Development Assistant Secretary Ruel G. Lucentales (second from left), UN-WFP Country Director Stephen Anderson (third from left), and Rizal Governor Casimiro A. Ynares III (left) awarded food packages in the form of rice assistance to the family-recipients from the municipalities of Angono, Cainta, and Taytay, Rizal.

“The effort is part of the continuing rehabilitation for the victims of typhoons ‘Ondoy’ and ‘Ramil’ in the province of Rizal,” Assistant Secretary Lucentales explained.

Under the FFW, beneficiaries are being involved in a 10-day rehabilitation and construction work, such as repair of schools used as evacuation centers, construction of communal toilets, latrines, kitchen and setting of water points, among others, in exchange for food.

In Barangay Kalayaan, Angono, Rizal, the UN-WFP provided 15.5 metric tons of rice assistance while construction materials and tools worth P700,000 were given by  the World Vision, a non-government organization.

Meanwhile, some 122 families from Barangay San Juan, Cainta, Rizal who are doing rehabilitation work in their resettlement site in Barangay Sumilang, Antipolo City also received 50 kilos of rice each.  The families are still staying in tents provided by World Vision.  The construction of core shelters for these families will  start in August 2010.

Likewise, the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office of Taytay was given a Certificate of Entitlement to claim the rice assistance for the 30 families who are doing the rehabilitation of a Day Care Center in Barangay San Juan, Taytay, Rizal.  The UN-WFP allotted 1.5 metric tons of rice for these families.

Assistant Secretary Lucentales added that “the concerned LGUs help the DSWD in identifying more relocation sites for the families who are still in evacuation centers.” ### (DSWD – Social Marketing Service) June 23, 2010