DSWD belies lack of aid to oil spill victims
THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has reported its continuous program of providing various interventions to families and individuals affected by the Mindoro oil spill incident to complement the disaster response operations and efforts of their respective local government units (LGUs).
This, following the statement from a research group in a press conference saying that there is insufficient aid and no income given to the residents affected by the incident in the province of Oriental Mindoro.
While the LGUs are mandated by Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 to be the first responders during natural and human-induced calamities, the DSWD has likewise provided the needed basic services for the affected population through technical assistance and resource augmentation.
The DSWD has emphasized that through its good partnership with the LGUs in the affected areas, sufficient assistance, in different forms, was provided to fisherfolks and other residents in Oriental Mindoro.
In fact, the latest report from DSWD revealed that more than Php 137.3 million worth of humanitarian aid was distributed to the affected families in the province. The assistance includes the provision of family food packs (FFPs) and financial assistance.
To date, more than 74,300 food packs have been provided to the different municipalities in Oriental Mindoro. The DSWD is now on its fourth wave of the provision of FFPs.
The DSWD also implements the Cash-for-Work (CFW) program in Oriental Mindoro to provide a temporary livelihood to the affected population. Currently, more than 14,000 affected individuals, who have been identified by their LGUs, were engaged by the DSWD and already received their initial salaries equivalent to their regional daily minimum wage.
Likewise, there are 11,365 individuals who received financial assistance worth P3,000 to P5,000 through the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations.
These individuals and families who have been served by the DSWD, in partnership with the LGUs, were from the towns of Bansud, Bongabong, Bulalacao, Gloria, Mansalay, Naujan, Pinamalayan, Pola, and Roxas.
Meanwhile, the DSWD said that while LGUs have the responsibility to provide immediate relief assistance at the first instance of disaster occurrence, other national government agencies also have a role to help the affected communities and families recover from the economic impact of the oil spill incident.
Despite the different roles and mandates, the Department calls for all sectors, including the government at all levels, private groups, and civil society organizations to work together in providing responsive programs and services to ensure that the affected population can bounce back from the impact of the oil spill on their livelihood.
