ILOILO City-The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has released a total of P1.4 billion in emergency shelter assistance (ESA) for Yolanda survivors in Western Visayas.
“We assure that we can pay swiftly the affected families as long as the funds are downloaded to us,” regional director Ma. Evelyn B. Macapobre said in a dialogue with members of Pamanggas who went at the DSWD compound on Wednesday.
The ESA is a cash grant provided to families whose houses are either totally or partially damaged. It aims to provide assistance to families affected by the typhoon to purchase housing materials for the repair and reconstruction of their damaged houses. The rate of assistance is P30,000 per family or individual beneficiary whose houses were totally destroyed and P10,000 for those with partially damaged houses.
If broken down, Libacao in Aklan received P109.6 million for all the 3,655 families with totally damaged houses.
In Antique, Culasi got P109.4 million for all 7,228 families with totally and partially damaged houses.
In Capiz, Panay received P173.6 million for all 5,787 families with totally damaged houses; Pontevedra got P43.5 million for all families with partially damaged houses; and Tapaz, P69.4 million for all families with partially damaged houses.
In Iloilo, Sara received P240.4 million for 8,015 families with totally damaged houses; Lambunao, P72.5 million for 7,250 families with partially damaged houses; Ajuy, P9 million for 300 families with totally damaged houses; Concepcion, P18 million for 600 families with totally damaged houses; and Estancia, P9 million for 300 families with totally damaged houses.
In Negros Occidental, P93.8 million was released for 7,178 beneficiaries with both totally and partially damaged houses.
“We pay the LGUs who have completed their documents in a first come first serve basis,” said Macapobre as she urged that other LGUs must complete all the papers needed so that the agency could immediately pay them as soon as funds are downloaded to their office./dswd6/May Rago-Castillo and Merry Jezzel Brendia