THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and officials of Sarangani province yesterday met to work out a synchronized provision of relief aid for those affected by the 6.8 quake magnitude quake early this month.
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian visited Sarangani yesterday and met with Gov. Rogelio Pacquiao and Rep. Steve Chiongbian at the Sarangani Provincial Capitol to discuss the status of relief assistance and measures for the recovery of quake-affected families.
“We agreed that as long as the local government units need support in food packs, it will continue. Now, the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), we will also continue to distribute that, but what we talked about is more important, the recovery of the people, the ones who lost their homes),” Gatchalian said in Filipino.
He also said that the department will complete the provision of AICS before December 15.
Aside from the cash aid under AICS, the DSWD will also distribute financial support through the Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) program starting January.
As of November 25, some P39 million worth of aid has been provided to 16,497 families (79, 289 persons) from 120 barangays in Regions XI (Davao) and XII (Soccsksargen).
Gatchalian also led yesterday the AICS payout to 1,000 beneficiaries from Malapatan and 600 from Glan, both in Sarangani, whose houses were damaged during the quake.
The families with destroyed houses received P10,000 each, while those with damaged houses were given P5,000 each.
The department through its Soccsksargen office also distributed two family food packs and a kitchen kit to each of the beneficiaries. — Jocelyn Montemayor
