The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) continues to assist the families whose livelihoods were affected by the oil spill incident in Oriental Mindoro, through various interventions that aim to address their immediate needs.
Upon the directive of Secretary Rex Gatchalian, the DSWD-Field Office (FO) MIMAROPA deployed a team today, March 9, to facilitate the provision of financial assistance under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation to the affected residents in Agutaya, Palawan. The payout of Php 5,000 cash aid, covering about 2,100 beneficiaries, will start on March 10.
The Department said that to date, more than Php 4.6 million worth of humanitarian aid was provided to the affected families in the provinces of Oriental Mindoro and Antique. The Field Offices in the affected areas continue to distribute Family Food Packs (FFPs) as part of the DSWD’s resource augmentation to the local government units (LGUs).
As of March 9, the FO MIMAROPA has already delivered more than 34,500 food packs to the Provincial Government Office; 8,294 of which were distributed to the residents from the Municipalities of Pola, Pinamalayan, Bansud, Bongabong, Bulalacao, and Gloria, in the province of Oriental Mindoro. The FO MIMAROPA also extended some 1,000 FFPs to Semirara Island in Caluya, Antique.
Likewise, FO VI transported 2,700 food packs including other non-food items to the LGU of Caluya through a cargo vessel facilitated by the Philippine Coast Guard. The said relief items are set to be distributed this week. Furthermore, the 500 FFPs prepositioned at a hub in Barbaza, Antique were already delivered to Samirara Island.
Moreover, on March 8, FO VI also provided financial assistance through Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) to 570 affected families amounting to Php 5,070 per family in the following distribution sites: Barangay Liwagao, Barangay Sabang Elementary School, and Semirara Gym in the Municipality of Caluya, Antique.
The FO VI is also monitoring the situation and assisting the 10 families or 40 individuals who are currently taking temporary shelter in one evacuation center in Caluya, Antique to ensure that their needs are addressed.
Based on the latest report, the DSWD recorded some 25,197 families or 111,092 individuals from 118 barangays in Regions MIMAROPA and VI who have been affected by the incident.
Temporary employment for affected residents
In addition to the food items, the DSWD is set to conduct a Cash-For-Work (CFW) Program to provide temporary employment to the affected fisherfolks so their immediate needs will be supported. This is following the declaration of a state of calamity in the province of Oriental Mindoro.
Through this program, affected residents from Oriental Mindoro will be mobilized to become part of the solution to the problem brought about by the oil spillage from the capsized motor tanker. In exchange, participants of the program will be provided with an emergency cash transfer equivalent to the amount of the regional minimum wage in the MIMAROPA region.
The Department allotted more than Php 84.4 million budget to cover some 14,220 expected participants of the program, which will run up to 15 days. The CFW program will commence as soon as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources gives the go signal to the DSWD to ensure the safety of all participants.
The DSWD vows to implement various interventions to ensure that the immediate needs of the affected residents are immediately met. ###
