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

 

On November 08, 2013, super Typhoon Yolanda caused massive destruction in six regions, namely Regon IV-B, V, VI, VII, VIII and CARAGA affecting almost 1.47 million families or 7.1 million persons. Of the total affected, 918,261 families composed of 4,374,649 persons were displaced.

The overall reported damaged houses by the super typhoon Yolanda totalled to 1,012,790 houses, with 518,878 houses totally damaged and 493,912 houses partially damaged.

The Department provides continuing relief assistance to the Yolanda survivors, with a total of 6.83 million food packs with 3-kg and 6-kg rice have been distributed to the affected regions with the breakdown as follows:  24,496 food packs to Region IV-B; 60,368 food packs distributed to Region V; 687,892 packs in Region VI; 147,477 food packs in Region VII; 5,905,537 food packs in Region VIII; and 5,285 food packs for CARAGA survivors.

On 16 December 2013, DSWD transitioned to providing 25kg of rice from 3kg and 6kg.  A total of 551,365 food packs with equivalent 25kg of rice were distributed in affected municipalities and cities in Region VIII.

DSWD oversees the transfer of displaced families to transitional shelters or bunkhouses constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways.  As of April 2, 2014, a total of 3,187 families in Region VIII who were temporarily living in tents and makeshift houses in “no-build-zones” transferred to 245 completed bunkhouses in Leyte, Eastern Samar, and Western Samar.

In Region VI, a total of 118 families already transferred to 20 completed bunkhouses as of April 02, 2014.  These bunkhouses are located in Estancia and Concepcion, Iloilo.

DSWD also provides core shelter units/modified shelter assistance to Yolanda survivors in region VIII.  Some 426 core shelter units amounting to P23.28 million will be constructed in San Ricardo (77 units), Basey (40), Calubian (39), Tacloban City (200), and Matag-ob (70).  Of these, 167 have been completed and occupied.

The Department also facilitated the provision of emergency shelter kits to 7,615 households from the municipalities of Tanauan and Palo, Leyte and Guiuan, Eastern Samar, which consist of CGI sheets, umbrella and crown nails, hammer and a handsaw.

As part of its early relief operations, the Department implemented the cash for work (and food for work) program in Region VIII from November 09, 2013 to March 2014 which benefited almost 7,367 household heads amounting to P2,534,431.  Tasks given under the program were loading/unloading of goods, repacking of relief goods, food preparation, sorting and inventory of damaged property, clearing of debris, coastal clean-up, canal dredging and communal garden, among others.

The Department also started to transition the cash for work activities from support to relief operations to rebuilding of livelihood assets under the Cash for Work for Livelihood Assets Rebuilding.  Under the Cash for Work for Livelihood Assets, a total of 165,435 household heads in Regions IV-MIMAROPA, VII and VIII amounting to P438,545,400.  Of the total beneficiaries, 60,530 are from Region VIII.

The program is currently being implemented which is initially benefiting 69,806 household heads amounting to P192,347,770, while the rest is for implementation.

The Department also conducted a validation/identification of the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries in the typhoon affected areas in Region VIII which aims to locate Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries affected by the typhoon.

For the validated beneficiaries, the Pantawid Pamilya National Advisory Committee approved the decision to declare the beneficiaries compliant to the conditionalities and will receive the full amount.  The DSWD 4Ps Team are currently processing the inclusion of additional 20,000 households which will be enrolled in the program for the Set 7 (2014) expansion.

Further, the World Food Programme (WFP) gave cash grants to 128,902 Pantawid Pamilya households affected by Yolanda in Region VIII amounting to P167,572,600 at P1,300/household a month for two months.

Following the initiative of the World Food Program, DSWD, together with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will be providing cash grants amounting to $6million to households affected by Yolanda through the NGO Action Contre La Faim as implementing organization.  Each household-beneficiary will receive $100 or around P4,300/monthly for six months.

Under the Kalahi-CIDSS program which employs the community-driven development approach, developmental infrastructures are being constructed, which would help rebuild Yolanda-stricken areas.  To date, there are 331 on-going sub-projects in Regions IV-B, V, VI, VII and VIII amounting to P553,745,511.24.

The projects are as follows: 85 road projects (construction/improvement/concreting); 61 foot path/access trails; 53 school buildings; 37 seawall/flood control/drainage/riprap/spillway; 35 water systems; 20 health stations; 16 day care centers; 10 bridges; 5 sanitary toilets; 3 post-harvest facilities; and 6 other projects like multi-purpose building, miniport and solid waste management.

Also, a footpath/foot rail was recently completed in Negros Occidental amounting to P215,801. ###