DAVAO CITY — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has allotted P27 million in cash grants to beneficiaries under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) for typhoon “Pablo” victims without the usual conditions.
Rebecca Santamaria, chief of DSWD-11 protective services unit, said Wednesday the victims are exempted from the conditions as they had lost their identification cards to the flash floods and landslides and the schools [in their areas] were destroyed.
Each month, 4Ps provides cash grants of P500 per month per household for health and nutrition expenses, and P300 per child for educational expenses.
Part of the conditions for the assistance is 85-percent attendance of children in daycare, elementary or high school classes.
In addition, pregnant women must avail of pre- and post-natal care, parents must attend Family Development Sessions (FDS), and 0-5 year old children must receive regular preventive health check-ups and vaccines.
Santamaria said 4Ps cash grants for beneficiaries in Cateel, Baganga and Boston in Davao Oriental will be distributed on December 13-14.
She noted that by next year, the disaster victims and all households identified by the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) will be covered by the program.
DSWD has P115 million in standby funds for the assistance of typhoon victims for purchasing food and non-food items and construction of bunkhouses for their temporary shelter.
Santamaria announced that 81 bunk houses will be constructed — 21 units in Compostela Valley (ComVal), and 20 each in Baganga, Boston and Cateel.
The first 40 bunkhouses will be completed on Dec. 16, and the second batch on December 20.
Having the size of a standard basketball court with GI sheets for roof, concrete floors and plywood walls, a bunkhouse will have at least 10 rooms each of which can accommodate three families.
She said the DSWD will provide permanent evacuation centers in each barangay as mandated by Republic Act 10121, the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010.
Cash for work
The DSWD-11 will begin on Dec. 16 its cash-for-work program for some 28,0000 Pablo victims in the region who will help in clearing areas and be paid P218 a day.
The program has an initial fund of P42.728 million, but Santamaria said additional funds for the program can be requested if the need arises.
She cited that DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman promised to release emergency shelter assistance worth between P5,000 and P15,000 depending on the damage.
Those who are in the list of poor households under the NHTS-PR will also be able to own a newly built house worth P70,000.
DSWD earmarked a total of P2.5 million to provide an assistance of P10,000 to each family of the casualties of typhoon Pablo.
In Region XI, Pablo affected 958,050 families or 4,149,787 individuals, according to the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in its update as of 12:30 a.m. on Dec. 11.
The total for Compostela Valley was 127,471 families or 687,195 individuals, and for Davao Oriental, 169,485 families or 847,440 individuals based on the council’s a report.
Santamaria is calling for more donations and volunteers such as relief packers, doctors, nurses and stress “debriefers” to join relief missions in areas mostly affected by Pablo. (Lorie Ann Cascaro/MindaNews)
