MANILA –The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Tuesday assured that it has sufficient funds to provide the transportation cash assistance to workers in Boracay who opt to leave the island resort and return to their hometowns.
“As of this morning, DSWD has resumed the pay-out,” Joey Urquiola, a DSWD-Social Welfare and Development (SWAD) team leader in Aklan said in a phone interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
As of Monday, Urquiola said over PHP5 million was already released by the agency to 2,251 displaced workers who sought the transportation assistance as the resorts and businesses where they worked for were temporarily closed.
“With the closure, these workers were given transportation assistance to help them bear the cost of the fare to go back to their provinces so that they can also find other jobs there while the rehabilitation is being done,” he added.
He also dispelled rumors that the agency will stop the transportation assistance to non-Boracay residents.
“It’s not true. We, at DSWD, together with Officer In Charge Emmanuel Leyco and Regional Director Rebecca Geamala are assuring them that we are here to help and provide services,” he said.
Urquiola earlier said they temporarily stopped the transportation assistance as they failed to encash checks on Saturday and Sunday.
Aside from providing transportation assistance, DSWD is also helping in providing cash for work scheme and Sustainable Livelihood Program for displaced workers.
Hundreds of workers in Boracay were affected by the temporary closure of the island resort which would be undergoing rehabilitation in the next six months. (PNA)
