TACLOBAN
CITY, Oct. 30 – A non-government organization (NGO) will
launch a program assisting super typhoon Yolanda survivors to file the
declaration of presumptive death for the missing victims of the 2013
catastrophe.
Under the
Civil Code of the Philippines, a family member can file for the declaration
four years after disappearance for the purpose of remarriage and claiming
benefits.
“Under
these rules on presumptive death, there is no need for a court decree. The mere
running of the period raises the presumption of death,” said Mary Grace
Lazarra, paralegal of Initiative for Dialogue and Empowerment through
Alternative Legal Services, (IDEALS) Inc.
During
the program’s launch on Nov. 7, the NGO will discuss basic concepts of petition
for declaration of presumptive death. IDEALS will also turn over documents to
the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) filed by 20 petitioners.
The
application for the declaration of presumptive death is not yet open to the
public, but there are already 20 qualified petitioners, Lazarra said on Sunday.
The
purpose of this initiative is to help families recover from the painful loss of
their family members, remarry, and move on from the tragic experience.
The
initiative is part of the NGO’s Access to Benefits and Claims During Disaster
(ABCD) Program.
It reaches those affected by natural and man-made calamities
and helps them thru providing legal services and assistance, reconstructing
their damaged civil and legal documents, and in accessing social protection and
welfare assistance.
The group
launched the ABCD few weeks after the super typhoon pummeled the region on Nov.
8, 2013.
The
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has reported 1,074
missing persons in Eastern Visayas region as of end 2015.
Super
typhoon Yolanda (internationally known as Haiyan), is the deadliest Philippine
typhoon on record, killing at least 6,300 people in the central part of the
country. (SQM/with Ali Krause Gamana & Christine Quimbo, OJT/PNA)
No comments:
Post a Comment