Posted on by Digital Media Service

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian instructs all Regional Directors, during a meeting on Sunday (July 30), to intensify the disaster coordination of the DSWD with the local government units (LGUs) that were severely affected by Super Typhoon Egay.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian instructs all Regional Directors, during a meeting on Sunday (July 30), to intensify the disaster coordination of the DSWD with the local government units (LGUs) that were severely affected by Super Typhoon Egay.

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian instructed all Regional Directors to intensify their coordination with the local government units (LGUs)that were severely affected by Super Typhoon Egay in the regions of Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, MIMAROPA, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

In an emergency meeting held on Sunday (July 30), Secretary Gatchalian emphasized the importance of close coordination of the DSWD field offices with the LGUs in ensuring that appropriate interventions are immediately implemented for the welfare of the affected population.
“Part of the success natin is because the national agencies and local government units are talking, are coordinating,” the DSWD Secretary pointed out.
(Part of our success in disaster operations is because the national agencies and the local government units are talking, are coordinating.)
Secretary Gatchalian also ordered the Regional Directors to fast-track the preparations for the rollout of the Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) program in the municipality of Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro and northern provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, Apayao, Mountain Province, and Cagayan.
This coming week, Secretary Gatchalian said the DSWD will provide cash assistance under the ECT program to the affected families whose houses were damaged during the onslaught of ST Egay.
“Plot out the schedule of the payout… Gusto ko magkaroon tayo ng payout this week in batches,” the DSWD chief emphasized.
(Plot out the schedule of the payout… I want to have payout activities this week in batches.)
Secretary Gatchalian also said the DSWD will implement the Cash-For-Work program in the affected areas, which will run for 30-45 days, to provide alternative livelihood to typhoon-affected residents as part of their early recovery and rehabilitation after the calamity.
“Uunahin natin ang ECT pero later on sa recovery we will do cash for work,” the DSWD chief noted.
(We will roll out ECT first and later on, for the recovery, we will do cash for work.)
Secretary Gatchalian also commended Regional Directors Leo Quintilla (FO-CAR), Leo Reynoso (FO-MIMAROPA), Marie Angela Gopalan (FO-Ilocos), Lucia Allan (FO-Cagayan Valley) and their respective teams for exercising an efficient disaster response to the affected localities. #