The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced that through its Field Office II in Carig Sur, Tuguegarao City, it has been able to provide assistance to Filipinos affected by the El Nino phenomenon in the region.

DSWD Sec. Judy M. Taguiwalo said that the department was prepared for contingencies such as this and has standby funds that can be immediately utilized to ensure that affected Filipinos are given means of income and livelihood during emergencies.

The DSWD through its FO II gave assistance to 31,838 families affected by El Nino through the cash- for- work program.

Of the P1, 652, 890.00 funds downloaded to the Field Office, P61, 651, 398.68 were utilized.  The said funds were allocated to the following provinces in the region:

1. Cagayan – P24, 425,080.00
2. Isabela – P21, 726, 250.00
3. Nueva Vizcaya – P9, 299, 790.00  
4. Quirino – P6, 201,770.00 with the following number of beneficiaries and breakdown of funds per municipality:

4.1   Aglipay – P1,019,940.00 with 534 beneficiaries

4.2   Cabarroguis – P977, 920.00 with 512 beneficiaries

4.3   Saguday – P420,200.00 with 220 beneficiaries

4.4   Diffun – P1,720, 910 with 901 beneficiaries

4.5   Maddela – P716, 250.00 with 375 beneficiaries

4.6   Nagtipunan – P1,346,550.00 with 705 beneficiaries

In the meantime, the FO2 through the Provincial/Municipal Action Teams, provided other support services to the beneficiaries in collaboration with the Provincial/Municipal government units.

These support services include the following:

1. Provision of seedlings resilient to climate change. These were provided by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
2. Food packs given by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office in Quirino; and,
3. Cash for Building Livelihood Assets  through the Sustainable Livelihood Program.

“We want to assure our kababayans in Quirino that the DSWD is monitoring the drought in the region and that we are prepared to provide augmentation assistance to the LGU whenever needed. We are also ready to coordinate with other government agencies to determine what other forms and types of assistance they can also provide to families affected by the drought,” said Sec.  Taguiwalo. #