TAPAZ, CAPIZ—Ninety-four year-old Noveliches Gloria was misty-eyed as her frail and shaking hands tapped the DSWD worker’s arm as her sign of gratefulness for the P30,000.00 emergency shelter assistance she is about to receive.

“Salamat, salamat, salamat. (Thank you, thank you, thank you),” she said while her wrinkled face and lips flashes a pleasant smile.

Noveliches could hardly walk or stand on her own but she really wanted to go and personally receive the check.

“Despite having difficulty, she woke up early. She was excited,” said her son, Matias, 62, who was with her at the municipal gym, in dialect.

Matias said their family will no longer have to squeeze in a makeshift room he has built after Typhoon Yolanda wrecked their house a year ago. “We were not able to reconstruct our house because we don’t have money to do so,” he added. He is a farmer while his wife remains at home to take care of her mother-in-law and their grandchildren. All of the couple’s five children are already married.

317 families received ESA

A total of 317 families whose houses were totally damaged by “super” Typhoon Yolanda received checks worth P30,000.00 each.

DSWD regional director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre, Protective Services Unit Head Rosario Sanagustin and Capiz Social Welfare and Development office team leader Josephine Degala released the checks to the beneficiaries.

Tapaz Municipal Mayor Rosemarie Gardoce thanked the DSWD for the assistance as she encouraged her constituents to spend the money where it is intended.

“This is a very good Christmas gift because as we can see many of you have not rebuilt your houses. Just make sure you use the money wisely, so your family will spend your Christmas or New Year under a new home,” the mayor stressed.

First in Capiz

Director Macapobre commended the local government unit, the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, down to the barangay level for fast tracking the validation and submission of the list of affected families to the DSWD.

“I thank your officials and all those who were involved in the preparations of the papers. I’ve heard they spent sleepless nights just to have these papers submitted early to our office. In the whole of Capiz, you are the first municipality to receive the emergency shelter assistance,” her pronouncement received a resounding applause from the beneficiaries.

The director likewise appealed to the 317 families who just received the ESA to help the Department by telling their neighbors and other typhoon-affected families to be patient and wait for the next batches of releasing.

“You are just the first batch. More batches will be coming but we just want to make it clear that not all those who lost their homes will receive because there are guidelines that we have to follow,” Macapobre explained. Under the guidelines set by the DSWD Central Office, only those families who earn below P15,000.00 a month are entitled to receive the ESA./dswd6/Wenna B. Bendol