ESTANCIA, Iloilo-More than a year ago, this town did not just suffer the paralysis of lives brought by typhoon Yolanda, internationally known Haiyan. It also suffered from the oil spill problem as a barge leaked oil into its waters and destroyed livelihood and marine life.
While damaged houses were still visible, the faces of people who left the Estancia quadrangle on Wednesday (December 16) were beaming with happiness and positive prospects, far from the gloomy mood that engulfed the place right after the typhoon.
Thirteen-year-old Japhet Oliva of Daanbanwa, for instance, was all smiles as he accompanied his mother Josephine in claiming her P30,000 emergency shelter assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Regional Office VI.
“Now, we could complete the rebuilding of our house,” Josephine said.
According to Josephine, they did receive relief goods from DSWD and shelter materials from World Vision. “With the materials from World Vision and this emergency shelter assistance, we could already have a place we could call a house,” she said in vernacular.
Their family was only one of the 300 families that received the assistance. The total amount released at P30,000 each was P9 milion.

TENT NO MORE
Forty-two-year-old Marissa Singalivo of Poblacion, Zone II, mother to six children, likewise expressed how grateful she is of the assistance.
“We are still living in a tent provided to us by the Canadians. With this amount, we will be able to buy additional G.I. sheets and wood so we could build a house,” she said.
Marissa also said that she is thankful to the help of the International community and DSWD. She said that the tent has since been their shelter after Yolanda damaged their house. Aside from this, Habitat also provided them with G.I. sheets and wood.
Also, Singalivo is a Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiary, the government of the Philippine’s version of the Conditional Cash Transfer Program, which aims to send children to school and keep them healthy.
“Despite the damages of the typhoon, my children have continued their schooling because of Pantawid,” she said.

FAMILIES TROOP THE PLACE
With prospects of finally building their own homes, a number of the ESA recipients brought with them their spouse and children.
Fernando Veloso, for instance, had his wife and two children join him.
He approached DSWD representative Rosario Sanagustin and told her these words, “Salamat gid kay mapahuman na namon ang amon balay (Thank you because of this, we could finish the construction of our house.”
Congressman Niel “Junjun” Tupas, Jr. of Iloilo’s fifth district also graced the event along with Estancia mayor Rene Cordero. /dswd6/May Rago-Castillo