The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its Field Office-2 (Cagayan Valley), officially turned over core shelter units to 309 household-beneficiaries from 25 barangays in the municipality of Diffun in Quirino province on January 12.

The initiative was part of the agency’s Core Shelter Assistance Program (CSAP), which aims to provide decent housing to families who lost their homes due to the impact of Typhoons Quiel and Pedring in 2012.

The turnover ceremony was led by Minaflor Mansibang, Head of the Disaster Response and Rehabilitation Section (DRRS) of the DSWD Cagayan Valley, on behalf of Regional Director Lucia Alan, and attended by Municipal Mayor May Garnace-Calaunan, along with personnel from the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) and officials from the local government unit (LGU) of Diffun.

In her message, DRRS Head Mansibang expressed gratitude for the support extended by the Diffun LGU in successfully implementing the program within their jurisdiction.

“The agency’s goal is to provide a safe and peaceful shelter for your entire family and instill confidence in facing any calamity that they may experience,” DRRS Head Mansibang said.

Under the program, the DSWD distributed Php70,000 grants for the construction of each shelter unit, while LGU-Diffun provided the relocation site and other assistance to complete the project.

The provision of core shelter units was a collaborative effort between the DSWD and the LGU to help rebuild lives and communities affected by natural disasters. #