Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Monday assured tourism workers in Masbate province that they are among the priority groups under the government’s early recovery interventions.
“We know that the financial aid given is not enough, but we want to feel that in this way, you are always at the top of our minds. We know that little by little, we will be able to rise again, and you can count on the ranks of the DSWD, and other branches of the national government, we will always make sure that we are right next to you in your recovery,” Gatchalian said in Filipino during the Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) distribution at the Magallanes Coliseum in Masbate City.
The provision of ECT to the Masbateno tourism workers was under the Bayanihan sa Bukas na May Pag-asa sa Turismo (BBMT) Program.
A total of 806 tourism workers who were affected by Severe Tropical Storm (STS) ‘Opong’ will receive P10,263 each under the ECT program to help them recover after their sources of livelihood were disrupted by the tropical cyclone.
In his message, Gatchalian emphasized the directive of President Marcos to assist all disaster-stricken individuals by providing interventions that will restore their livelihood and rebuild their damaged houses.
The ECT is an adaptive strategy by the DSWD that aims to bridge the gap between immediate disaster relief, humanitarian response, and early recovery support in disasters and emergencies by providing unconditional cash assistance to disaster-affected families that require intervention.
