AMIDST speculations that the agency has ran out of funds, the DSWD Field Office VI today announced that the information is false.
“May pera ang DSWD (DSWD has funds),” said regional director Rebecca P. Geamala in front of Boracay-affected workers who were seated waiting for their turn to get transportation aid.
The agency proceeded with the conduct of payout with more than a thousand in queue to get the assistance.
“Mali ang information na walang pera ang DSWD. We have funds para tulungan kayo. Kaya ngayon andito kami. Tuloy po ang payout,” said Geamala as she addressed workers who were home bound as the resorts and businesses where they work for are temporarily closed.
She explained that the non-payment of assistance on Saturday and Monday “was not stoppage. It is wrong. Those were days when we conducted assessment. We do not want to sow fear in the people that they will be left helpless. We at DSWD are here to help them, ready to listen, ready to help and provide our services.”
Geamala said that they only had to wait for banking hours to have the check encashment done.
“But even then, our operations continued. We catered clients, interviewed and assessed them. By now (Tuesday), payments of transportation assistance continues,” she said.
As of 9p.m. of Monday, the agency has released P5 million in transportation assistance to 2,251 displaced workers.
Further, Geamala said that the agency has submitted for a P524-million funding at the Central Office to for implementation of Cash for Work and Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) and other DSWD services/dswd6
Captions:
1-2- Director Rebecca P. Geamala speaks before the Boracay-affected workers waiting for their turn to get transportation aid from DSWD
3- Khalid receives P3,500 transportation assistance from DSWD.
4. Darryl receives P2500-worth of transportation assistance from DSWD.