The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) provided P13.5 million in cash assistance to 900 families affected by a recent fire that left hundreds of residents homeless in Tondo, Manila.
Each beneficiary received P15,109 to assist their recovery in the aftermath of the fire that gutted their houses. The recipients were also affected by the combined effects of tropical cyclones “Crising,” “Dante,” and “Emong,” as well as the intensified southwest monsoon (habagat) in July.
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian, who oversaw the payout, said the cash aid under the agency’s Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) is complementary to the relief goods provided to the displaced families since the August 6 fire incident — as the effects of the disasters that struck the families cannot be solely addressed by food provisions.
“Our President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. sent me here himself to bring more help for all of you. When he heard the news, our President immediately ordered us to bring food packs that were here the other day, along with an extra 15,000 pesos today,” Gatchalian told beneficiaries in Filipino during the payout held at the Vicente Lim Elementary School in Tondo.
The DSWD chief explained that the ECT is an adaptive and unconditional cash assistance program that empowers beneficiaries to address their most urgent needs following a major disaster.
“We give cash because we know that they have different needs, so that they can be empowered to choose what they prioritize,” Gatchalian said.
Among the recipients of the cash aid was 62-year-old Teresita Aquino, a senior citizen who said the aid she received was a big source of strength at a difficult phase in her life.
