The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is monitoring the situation of its Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries in Boracay whose houses are standing on forest lands and wetlands and who have been served with eviction notices as part of the six-month plan to rehabilitate the island.
The DSWD has 684 4Ps household beneficiaries in Boracay: 208 at Brgy. Balabag, 340 at Brgy. Manoc Manoc, and 136 at Barangay Yapak.
“There are social workers and field workers on the ground who continue to monitor the status of our Pantawid families. We are also working very tightly with our Field Office (FO) in Region VI to get timely updates,” DSWD Officer-in-Charge Emmanuel A. Leyco said.
OIC Leyco said that the 4Ps will relax its conditionalities for beneficiaries in Boracay for the next few months in consideration of the difficult circumstances many beneficiaries are facing.
“We will suspend some of the attendance requirements of the 4Ps as a way to support our beneficiaries who want to maximize all of their time finding new means to earn a living. We understand that most of them if not all have jobs that are directly or indirectly related to the tourist trade in Boracay. Suspending the conditionalities is a way to support them. We will also continue to coordinate with other government agencies such as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Department of Health (DoH) and the TESDA on efforts of assistance to rest of the working people of Boracay,” he said.
The 4Ps program yesterday conducted a payout activity for its beneficiaries from the three barangays at the barangay hall in Brgy. Manoc Manoc. Some Pantawid beneficiaries received notice to vacate their houses based on interviews.
Cristina Absalon, 33, a resident of Brgy. Yapak, said she became very emotional when she received the notices from local authorities instructing them to vacate their house.
“Nanlumo talaga ako noong natanggap ko yung notice. Ang hirap ng sitwasyon naming kasi nawalan na nga kami ng hanap-buhay dahil sa pagsasara ng Boracay, mawawalan pa ng bahay (I felt really depressed when I received the notice. It is really hard because we’ve already lost our means of livelihood ; now we’re going to lose our homes,” she said.
Cristina works as a masseuse in a resort in Boracay.
“Nakakatakot kasi walo ang mga anak ko. Paano nalang kami? (I’m really afraid because I have eight children. What will happen to us?),” Cristina added.
“Most of our beneficiaries here in Boracay are working as vendors of souvenirs and other items, hair braiders, boatmen, and tricycle drivers. There are also those working as porters, tour guides, and ‘commissioners’ or those who arrange the visit of tourists. All of them will lose their sources of income starting April 24,” said Gemma Santerva, the DSWD Municipal Link assigned in Boracay.
4Ps beneficiaries will also be given opportunities to access other DSWD programs such as the Cash-For-Work scheme and the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP). #
