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Secretary Soliman was in Jaen and Cabiao, Nueva Ejica to check on the condition of the families affected by ‘Santi’ and to lead in the relief distribution. More than a month after Typhoon Santi hit Central Luzon, the government through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) continues to put priority on helping affected families achieve normalcy in their lives.
“We continue to coordinate with concerned local government units to determine other appropriate interventions and services that the affected families need to hasten their recovery and start to lead normal lives,” DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano- Soliman said
She said that relief distribution in the affected areas is still continued to ensure that affected families can meet their daily food needs.
As of October 24, a total of P34.40 million worth of relief assistance has been provided to Typhoon Santi victims in the five affected regions in Luzon. The amount came from the combined resources of the DSWD, the local government units (LGUs) and non-government organizations (NGOs).
Of the total aid provided, P33.14 million went to Central Luzon which was the hardest hit by ‘Santi’ affecting 275,087 families or 1,291,488 persons.
The DSWD assistance to Central Luzon has reached P17.17 million broken down as follows: Nueva Ecija (P6.22 million), Tarlac (P3.89 million), Bulacan (P4.13 million), Pampanga (P1.93 million), Zambales (P750,000.00), and Aurora (P240,000.00).
Meanwhile, the DSWD is now implementing the Food-for-Work (FFW) and Cash-for-Work (CFW) programs to help the victims recover. These are being undertaken to facilitate the repairs of roads, dikes, and drainage system.
The FFW and CFW are temporary interventions implemented during a disaster that provide food and cash, respectively, to individuals in exchange for the work they rendered in their communities.
The DSWD–Region III released about P2.3 million for the implementation of FFW in the region.
The Department is also completing its validation of families with damaged houses for inclusion in the Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) program.
Central Luzon recorded 21,048 totally damaged and 102,621 partially damaged houses. Nueva Ecija, the hardest hit province, has the highest number of damaged houses with 16,497 and 62,162 totally damaged and partially damaged houses, respectively.
Earlier, Secretary Soliman was in Jaen and Cabiao, Nueva Ecija to check on the condition of the affected families. The Secretary condoled with the Balingit family, one of the bereaved families and personally handed over the financial assistance. The other nine bereaved families in the province already received their P10,000 financial assistance.
Likewise, on October 18, a DSWD team went to Concepcion, Tarlac and San Miguel, Bulacan to personally extend the financial aid to other five bereaved families. The DSWD in Central Luzon will distribute the financial assistance to the remaining bereaved families anytime this month.
The DSWD-Disaster Risk Reduction and Response Operations Office (DRRROO) reported nine deaths in Nueva Ecija, seven in Bulacan, six in Pampanga, two in Tarlac, and one in Zambales.
Meanwhile, the DSWD is developing a rehabilitation plan that includes shelter and livelihood for the victims. ###
