TACLOBAN CITY – A non-government organization (NGO) will launch a program assisting super typhoon Yolanda survivors to file the declaration of presumptive death for the missing victims of the 2013 catastrophe.
Under the Civil Code of the Philippines, a family member can file for the declaration four years after disappearance for the purpose of remarriage and claiming benefits.
“Under these rules on presumptive death, there is no need for a court decree. The mere running of the period raises the presumption of death,” said Mary Grace Lazarra, paralegal of Initiative for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services, (IDEALS) Inc.
During the program’s launch on Nov. 7, the NGO will discuss basic concepts of petition for declaration of presumptive death. IDEALS will also turn over documents to the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) filed by 20 petitioners.
The application for the declaration of presumptive death is not yet open to the public, but there are already 20 qualified petitioners, Lazarra said on Sunday.
The purpose of this initiative is to help families recover from the painful loss of their family members, remarry, and move on from the tragic experience.
The initiative is part of the NGO’s Access to Benefits and Claims During Disaster (ABCD) Program. It reaches those affected by natural and man-made calamities and helps them thru providing legal services and assistance, reconstructing their damaged civil and legal documents, and in accessing social protection and welfare assistance.
The group launched the ABCD few weeks after the super typhoon pummeled the region on Nov. 8, 2013.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has reported 1,074 missing persons in Eastern Visayas region as of end 2015.
Super typhoon Yolanda (internationally known as Haiyan), is the deadliest Philippine typhoon on record, killing at least 6,300 people in the central part of the country. (with Ali Krause Gamana & Christine Quimbo, OJT/PNA)
