Brighter days are ahead for the survivors of Typhoon Yolanda as Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman created a task force for the rebuilding of livelihood assets or  Cash for Assets.  It is led by the Department’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).

“The Cash for Assets  is part of DSWD’s early recovery efforts to enable the families affected by disasters to return to normal life at the soonest possible time by providing them immediate cash assistance,” Sec. Soliman said.

Regional Project Management Offices of the SLP from MiMaRoPa, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas are responsible for the implementation of the program.

DSWD field officers assigned in the affected municipalities are mobilized to undertake an assessment of beneficiaries in coordination with the local government units (LGUs) and concerned agencies to identify and implement Cash for Assets projects and activities.

Selection process

Priority beneficiaries are poor families in the DSWD’s Listahanan, a system that identifies who and where the poor are. Displaced families whose heads did not have employment prior to the occurrence of ‘Yolanda’, and families whose heads are engaged in informal labor, such as seasonal workers and street vendors among others, are also prioritized.

Participants receive the minimum wage for a period of 15 days.

The DSWD’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Response Operations Office (DRRROO) identified the hardest hit municipalities.

Rebuilding livelihood assets

To rebuild livelihood assets destroyed during the typhoon, the  Cash for Assets activities focus on  river dredging and embankment;  digging and dredging of canals and irrigation systems;  restoration of farmlands, farm-to-market roads, public markets, and school facilities;  communal farm preparation; and, clearing and cleaning of municipal roads and bridges.

In Basey, Western Samar, a total of 4,793 participants were involved in the program; while 4,500 participants were engaged in Giuian, Eastern Samar as of April 4.  Some 140,829 participants also participated in the program and received their wages through the LGUs.

In affected parts of Bohol, the program is focused on agri-infrastructure rehabilitation for communal irrigation systems.

In Palawan, high-priority areas are Coron, Busuanga, Agutaya, and Cuyo.

Engaged partners

Some of DSWD’s livelihood partners were committed to extend support. SM Foundation’s Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan provided training for farmers in Tanauan, Leyte and Guiuan, Eastern Samar.

Globe Telecom also distributed Globe mobile phones and P1,000 start-up capital for load retailing businesses for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program partner-beneficiaries in Ormoc, Leyte.

Coming months

DSWD has maintained close coordination with public and private sector partners who may still want to provide additional aid.

In the coming months, the DSWD is expecting to scale up its livelihood rehabilitation by providing a total of P1.5 billion worth of financial capital to at least 150,000 marginalized families in ‘Yolanda’ affected  areas. ###