More than 26,000 families affected by the magnitude 6.9 tremor in Northern Cebu have received their Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) aid from the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Field Office 7- Central Visayas, which was able to disburse over Php148 million in ECT.
“Itong Emergency Cash Transfer program ng DSWD ay nagbibigay ng agarang tulong sa mga internally displaced persons (IDPs) para sa kanilang early recovery needs mula sa isang kalamidad kagaya nitong lindol sa Cebu. Sa pamamagitan kasi ng cash assistance na ito, pwede silang bumili ng nutritious food, gamot, hygiene items, damit, at yung iba pang essential supplies na hindi kasama sa mga binibigay na relief goods,” Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) said on Tuesday (October 28).
The Municipality of Catmon was the latest local government unit (LGU) to hold a payout for its constituents with 740 households receiving the cash aid last October 26.
Of the total ECT recipients in Catmon, 23 families had totally-damaged houses while 717 had partially-damaged homes. Families with totally-damaged houses received Php10,125 while those with partially-damaged homes got Php5,250.
The payout was facilitated by the DSWD’s Central Visayas’ Disaster Response Management Division (DRMD), in coordination with the LGU of Catmon.
The City of Bogo has recorded the highest number of ECT beneficiaries in quake-hit Northern Cebu with 3,766 families each receiving Php5,265 in cash assistance.
Asst. Secretary Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, emphasized that measures are in place to guarantee the ECT program’s timeliness and effectiveness.
“Before implementing ECT in disaster-hit communities, we carefully assess if local markets are functioning and capable of providing families with their essential needs. This way, we ensure that the cash assistance is appropriate, responsive, and truly beneficial for affected households,” the DSWD spokesperson said.
The DSWD’s ECT program serves as a flexible intervention that supports both immediate relief and early recovery efforts for disaster-stricken families. (KI)
