Leyte town completes anti-poverty projects

SAN MIGUEL, Leyte, Jan. 11 (PNA) - This town is close to completing its Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS) sub projects.

Mayor Cheeryl Enrica Esperas said that among the projects recently completed include rehabilitation of multi-purpose hall, rehabilitation of two-story village hall, streetlight installation, construction of box culvert and pathway, rehabilitation of village chapel, rehabilitation of mini wharf with covered walk, construction of day care center and reconstruction of one-classroom school building.

Esperas disclosed the Kalahi-CIDSS program has only been implemented in their town only recently, but they saw to it that the sub-projects identified by the communities will be finished within 2015 as targeted.

“I have always believed in the Kalahi process which employs the counterparting scheme. This is more empowering for the people in the community and make them more responsible in prioritizing projects in their own locality,” Esperas said.

Compared to other Leyte towns where the program is already on its third cycle, Kalahi CIDSS has started in the San Miguel town two years ago.

It is noted that after the Yolanda onslaught, there has been a slight change in the prioritization of sub-projects identified by people in the affected communities.

At present, residents of most of the Yolanda-affected communities have identified needed sub-projects such as small roads, bridges and pathways because they believe that such projects can be beneficial to their target of “full normalization” as part of the recovery and rehabilitation effort.

Esperas said this can be noted too in the sub-projects completed in the various villages of San Miguel where identified projects consisted mainly of reconstructing or rehabilitating important community facilities that aid the villages in the delivery of basic services.

“As a result the people have become conscientious of what project to implement. They have also actively participated in the planning, purchasing of materials, construction, and even in financial auditing,” Esperas added.

Kalahi CIDSS-NCDDP (National Community-Driven Development Program) is one of the poverty alleviation programs of the Philippines government being implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The program is one of the three core social protection programs of DSWD in combating poverty. It uses the community-driven development (CDD) strategy to empower ordinary citizens to actively and directly participate in local governance by identifying their own community needs, planning, implementing, and monitoring projects together to address local poverty issues.

The CDD brings power back to the people by giving them the capacity and opportunity to make decisions on issues contributing to their poverty situation.

The Kalahi-CIDSS Fund has a total grant of PHP10.4 billion from the combined resources of the government and its partners.

Among the government partners providing for that fund are the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction, Millennium Challenge Corporation of the United States and the Government of Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. (PNA)
JBP/SQM/AHLETTE C. REYES/EGR

DSWD denies giving out ‘expired’ relief goods in Northern Samar

CATARMAN, Northern Samar, Jan. 4 (PNA) - The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has denied that they are the source of expired relief goods distributed to victims of typhoon "Nona" in this town.

Nida Getalado, DSWD social development team leader for disaster operations in Northern Samar, said their agency have been checking expiration dates of relief goods prior to distribution.

“We always give the best for typhoon victims through regular checking of expiration dates and quality of goods, including those donations coursed through the DSWD before their distribution,’ Getalado said.

“Our office continues to improve storage facility and distribution system of relief goods to ensure food safety,” Getalado added.

However, according to Getalado, there are private organizations who directly distribute goods to recipients or to the local government units, which could be the source of the reported expired goods.

DSWD promised to check the report and make sure that those responsible are held accountable.

The DSWD issued the clarification after residents of Baybay village, this town reported over the weekend that some noodles they received have an expiration dates of May 15, 2015 and Nov. 22, 2015.

Typhoon victims allegedly received these food packs from the DSWD, which consists of rice, noodles, canned goods and coffee.

Despite this issue, Getalado assured the government's commitment to assist typhoon victims.

“We are hoping that by this first week of January, everything will be ready. Relief goods and shelter kits needed will be distributed,” Getalado said.

The Northern Samar provincial government has already provided food packs and tarpaulins to villages, prioritizing families without stable source of income.

The Official death toll from typhoon Nona stood at 12. Casualties are from the towns of Allen, Lope de Vega, Mondragon, Catarman, San Roque and Victoria in Northern Samar.

Data from the PDRRMC showed that 114,200 families in 24 towns in Northern Samar have been displaced by the typhoon. (PNA)
FFC/SQM/JAZMIN BONIFACIO/EGR

DSWD says no holiday break in aid distribution for ‘Nona’ victims in Northern Samar

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 28 (PNA) – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has delivered relief goods to typhoon-hit families in four Northern Samar towns over the holidays.

The badly affected towns received rice, canned goods and tarpaulin, the DSWD said in a press statement on Monday.

The DSWD provided 721 sacks of 50 kilograms of rice, 1,001 boxes of canned goods, and 75 rolls of tarpaulin to affected families in Bobon town.

In San Roque town, DSWD also gave out 300 sacks of 50 kilograms rice, and 50 boxes corned beef.

Likewise, in Allen town, some 100 sacks of 50 kilograms of rice, 960 boxes of corned beef, and 50 rolls of tarpaulin were delivered while Lope de Vega was given 412 sacks of 50 kg of rice and 859 of boxes of corned beef.

DSWD disaster teams in the region are also continuously repacking goods and doing relief operations over the holidays.

As of December 27, a total of 1,447 families or 6,508 persons are still inside 97 evacuation centers managed by local government units in the affected areas in Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and Eastern Visayas regions. (PNA)
FFC/SARWELL Q. MENIANO

Ormoc kicks off second round of shelter aid distribution

ORMOC City, Leyte, Dec. 28 (PNA) – The City Treasurer’s Office resumed this week the second release of the Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) after receiving the funds from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

DSWD Regional Director Nestor Ramos personally handed over last Dec. 22 the check worth PHP414.08 million to city treasurer Delia Vilbar for distribution to at least 28,984 families under the category “totally damaged” homes.

Each family is entitled to receive PHP15,000 representing half of the assistance. The local government completed the distribution of the first tranche on October.

Mayor Edward C. Codilla would have wanted to conclude the ESA distribution before Christmas, but because of the long holidays, only beneficiaries from 18 villages will be given their share.

City Administrator Francis Pepito is confident though that the distribution will be concluded before the election ban on Jan. 29, 2016.

It may be recalled that last June 1, DSWD downloaded to Ormoc PHP689,369,934.25 which turned out to be insufficient as the number of families rose from 40,673 to 52,325 with the accommodation of more names in the master list, thus reducing the amount received by the beneficiaries.

With the concurrence of the city council, it was decided that families whose houses were destroyed will receive PHP15,000 instead of PHP30,000, while those whose homes were damaged will get PHP10,000 instead of PHP15,000 on the premise that the remaining amounts will be requested from the national government thereafter.

The ESA is being released by the DSWD as part of the rehabilitation efforts to help super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ survivors rebuild their homes. (PNA)
FFC/JFM/SQM/FNC/EGR

640 poor Leyte families get timber houses

CARIGARA, Leyte, Dec. 24 (PNA) - At least 640 families in this town received timber houses from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The 640 families from 44 villages, whose houses were totally wrecked by super typhoon Yolanda two years ago, formally received the new houses on Tuesday,

Among the recipients is the family of Aurea Dandan, 69. The couple and their youngest son have temporary stayed at their daughter’s house before receiving the shelter.

For two years, Dandan waited for the time to have a new house. They have prayed that somebody would come to them and offer help to build a new house.

Then came people from the DSWD and IOM who answered their prayer.

The house was specially designed for the old couple. Aside from stairs, a ramp was also installed for her easy access going in and out to their house. The old woman has walking disability due to her leg’s injury.

Her neighbor, Regina Lloren, 25, a mother of two is also thankful to the assistance given to them by the DSWD and IOM. Lloren’s common-law husband, Ryan has been supporting the family through fishing.

The DSWD, IOM, and the local government unit prioritized poor families in safe zones, whose houses have not been repaired after the 2013 catastrophe.

Aside from shelter, beneficiaries also received water sanitation and hygiene kits. (PNA)
FFC/SQM/Roel T Amazona

DSWD distributes 12,303 bags of rice to typhoon-hit Region 8 provinces

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 21 (PNA) -- Within a week after typhoon “Nona” pummeled Samar Island, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has already distributed 12,303 bags of rice to victims.

Of the number, 8,481 bags are 25 kilograms and 3,822 bags are 50 kilograms. This is on top of the 1,275 family food packs delivered to Northern Samar province, said DSWD regional information officer Vina Aquino.

Other relief goods distributed in the past seven days are 650 boxes of sardines, 1,710 boxes of corned beef, 490 boxes of nutridel (for child feeding), five boxes of coffee, and five boxes of instant noodles.

“Local government units (LGUs) have been distributing relief goods as well. Our role is to augment the exhausted resources of LGUs,” Aquino told PNA.

In a statement, DSWD Regional Director Nestor Ramos said bringing relief goods to island towns of Biri, Capul, San Vicente, and San Antonio has been challenging.

“Relief distributions in these areas are being hampered due to unfavorable weather condition. The relief goods are being brought there through the military helicopter,” Ramos said.

Based on the DSWD’s Monday afternoon report, the typhoon has flattened 117,788 houses in three Samar provinces, with 39,006 classified as totally wrecked and 78,782 partially damaged.

Under the shelter assistance, the DSWD has shipped 3,600 galvanized iron sheets and 960 tarpaulins to Northern Samar.

These will be allocated and delivered to affected areas while waiting for other batches of shelter repair kits, according to Aquino.

Number of affected population in Eastern Visayas rose to 644,324 with 602,586 in Northern Samar; 23,554 in Eastern Samar; 16,569 in Samar; and 1,615 in Biliran.

Affected LGUs are encouraged to draft comprehensive rehabilitation plan, outlining the kind of assistance they need from the national government. (PNA)
FFC/Sarwell Q. Meniano

2,349 Northern Samar families remain in evacuation centers

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 17 (PNA) – More than 2,000 families in Northern Samar remained in evacuation centers on Thursday after typhoon Nona’s violent winds rendered them homeless, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported.

“There are still some 2,349 families of 9,371 individuals temporarily staying at 28 evacuation centers of Northern Samar province. The DSWD’s Disaster Response Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) also bared some 80,405 houses from same province which were partially damaged,” said Vina Aquino, DSWD regional information officer in her update of the agency’s response.

A total of 7,414 houses were flattened by typhoon Nona in Northern Samar, according to the DSWD regional office.

“As of this reporting, the DROMIC reveals that reports coming in from the DSWD’s Social Welfare and Development Team (SWADT) of Northern Samar are a little delayed for the reason that communication lines are cut off yet. Also, power connection is still down,” Aquino added.

In Eastern Samar, DSWD reported about 1,000 partially damaged houses, while in Samar there were five totally and nine partially destroyed houses.

“However, the DROMIC said that the number of damaged houses is expected to increase considerably in the succeeding report,” Aquino said.

According to Aquino, their personnel on the ground have coordinated with the affected local government units “in gathering validated data as to the number of damaged houses.”

Resty Macuto, DSWD Assistant Regional Director for Operations, is leading the agency’s team in Northern Samar.

Earlier before Nona’s landfall, the DSWD said its field workers in six province in Eastern Visayas were “closely keeping in touch with local governments on their readiness against typhoon Nona.”

“I have already instructed for some 2,000 bags of rice to be delivered today to the three Samar provinces,“ said DSWD Nestor Ramos in an earlier statement, adding that “military trucks have been coordinated with the Office of Civil Defense for the transport of the commodities.”

In the same statement, Ramos has assured Secretary Corazon Soliman of “enough standby commodities and fund amounting to over PHP3 million.”

“Repacking of family food packs are ongoing, with 32 workers hired, via the ‘food-for-work’ scheme, for the purpose,” the DSWD said.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council has said that eight people were confirmed dead while 12 others were injured around the country due to typhoon Nona. (PNA)
FFC/SQM/Ronald O. Reyes

DSWD sends food packs for typhoon 'Nona' victims in Samar provinces

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 15 (PNA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is bringing more food packs to assist victims of typhoon “Nona” in Samar provinces.

In a report to the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the DSWD said a winged van arrived in Northern Samar Tuesday morning, containing 200 bags of rice and canned goods.

Also on Tuesday, 400 bags of rice were delivered to Oras and Arteche town in Eastern Samar.

Up for delivery are 2,000 sacks of staple food to Catarman town, the provincial capital and 200 sacks for shipment to San Policarpio town in Eastern Samar.

The RDRRMC said the typhoon has displaced more than 5,000 families when it unleashed its wrath in Northern Samar, Eastern Samar and Samar on Monday.

Badly affected areas (based on the number of evacuees) are Biri, Catarman, Catubig, Laoang, Lapinig, Rosario, and San Jose in Northern Samar; Almagro, Panabacadao, Catbalogan City, and Sta. Margarita in Samar; San Policarpio, Oras and Arteche in Eastern Samar.

Local disaster risk reduction and management councils have yet to report the extent of typhoon Nona’s damage. (PNA)
JBP/SARWELL Q. MENIANO