By Froilan Magtoto (PNA)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regional office here has released some PHP10.53 million worth of emergency shelter assistance (ESA) to those whose houses were either partially or totally damaged during the onslaught of monsoon rains triggered by Typhoons Henry, Inday and Josie last July.
DSWD Regional Director Gemma Gabuya, in an interview on Friday, said the payout of the ESA was successfully done this week in six of the seven provinces of Central Luzon.
Based on the DSWD report, a total of 547 houses was destroyed by the successive typhoons in the region, 197 of which were totally damaged while 350 were partially damaged.
Gabuya said the ESA beneficiaries underwent validation process before receiving the shelter financial assistance.
“The cash aid aims to help the beneficiaries buy construction materials to rebuild their damaged houses. To ensure that it is duly spent for the purchase of the materials, a receipt should be provided by the beneficiaries to the DSWD,” she said.
Under the program, a total of PHP33,000 was provided for each typhoon victim with totally damaged house, PHP3,000 pf which was for labor costs, equivalent for 10 days of “cash for work”.
On the other hand, some PHP11,500 was given to each typhoon victim with partially damaged house wherein PHP1,500 was allotted for five days of “cash for work”.
The province of Bataan has the most number of totally and partially damaged houses with 124 and 219, respectively.
This was followed by Zambales with 42 totally damaged and 50 partially destroyed houses.
Tarlac has 25 totally and 46 partially damaged houses; Bulacan — 3 totally and 9 partially; Pampanga — 2 totally and 13 partially and Nueva Ecija — 1 totally and 13 partially damaged houses.
Gabuya also said that after one month, the DSWD will conduct monitoring to ensure that the financial assistance received by the beneficiaries was indeed used for the reconstruction of the damaged houses.
