(Discussed during today’s Presscon of Secretary Soliman at the National Resource Operations Center)

 

The 7.2 magnitude earthquake occurred on October 15, 2013 devastating Western and Eastern Visayas and affecting a total of 671,099 families with 3.2 million persons.

A total of 42,771 homes were destroyed in 17 hardest hit municipalities in Bohol, with 8,083 totally and 34,688 partially damaged.  These municipalities include: Antequera, Balilihan, Buenavista, Calape, Carmen, Catigbian, Clarin, Corella, Cortes, Danao, Inabanga, Loon, Maribojoc, Sagbayan, San Isidro, Sevilla and Tubigon.

Of this number, 95,884 families with 465,146 persons were displaced, 78,229 homes were destroyed with 15,932 (20%) totally and 62,296 (80%) partially damaged.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), together with international and local humanitarian organizations, NGOs and the affected local government units (LGUS) immediately conducted disaster and relief operations to help the affected and displaced populace.

These include continuing food support with some 158,671 food packs with 20-kilograms rice each, and 191,825 with 3 and 6 -kilograms of rice each  distributed to the 17 hardest-hit unicipalities to date.

Livelihood support in the form of Cash-for-Work (CFW) was also provided to the earthquake survivors. All the 17 hardest hit municipalities were given Cash- for- Work (CFW) program.

The CFW program is part of DSWD’s early recovery efforts so the families affected by disasters will soon return to normal life.  It is the provision of cash to disaster victims in exchange for their services or involvement in the rehabilitation efforts in the communities. The beneficiaries are paid the prevailing minimum wage in the region.

The total number of CFW beneficiaries in Bohol Province reached 7,403. DSWD has released the amount of P21,199,194 to fund the CFW program.

The beneficiaries engaged clearing of debris, construction of damaged houses, house repair and house rebuilding, repair of community facilities, such as LGU offices and public markets/barangay halls,  flea market, municipal nursery and repair of day care centers, gyms and schools,  rehabilitation of roads, water system and dredging of canals,  agricultural rehabilitation and production, and  amakan making.

An additional 1,665 CFW beneficiaries  work  in stevedoring/hauling and repacking in the warehouse in Tagbilaran City; and  carpentry works in the temporary shelter/tents in Calape, Cortes, and Loon.

The health and nutrition of children in disaster areas are also addressed through the Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP). To date, a total of 12,251 children in the 17 municipalities benefited from the SFP.

The Core Shelter Assistance Project (CSAP) provides environment-friendly, structurally strong shelter units built onsite that can withstand up to 220-kph wind velocity, at least intensity 4 earthquakes and other natural disasters.

The DSWD, Habitat for Humanity and local chief executives of the 17 hardest hit municipalities signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on February 9, 2014. The MOA stipulates that more than 8,083 core shelters will be built for beneficiaries whose houses were totally damaged.

Costing P88,000, each unit is made of locally available materials to revitalize local economy.

DSWD will shoulder P70,000 while Habitat will share P18,000 as counterpart for each unit which may be in the form of cash, labor, volunteers, facilities and equipment, administrative cost, and social services such as medical missions and feeding programs.

DSWD has allocated the amount of P565,810,000.00 for CSAP.

A check was turned over to the Habitat for Humanity on April 1, 2014 to start building the cores shelters targeted to be completed within a period of one year.

DSWD also implements the Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA), which is the provision of cash or housing materials for the repair of partially damaged houses as a result of a disaster.

A total of 34,688 beneficiaries in the 17 municipalities are recipients of ESA. To date, total amount downloaded to LGUs reached P346,880,000.

Each family beneficiary will receive shelter kits worth P10,000 and can choose from three construction kit options, namely; Timber Kit with Amakan (woven bamboo wall),  Masonry Kit, and  Galvanized Iron Roof/Repair Kit.

DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman assured the victims that the Department and its partners will continue to assist them. ###