Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo today announced that the department will release emergency shelter assistance (ESA) of P5,000 to the families most devastated by Typhoon Lawin in Northern Luzon.

She asked the help of local government officials of Region 2 — Cagayan and Isabela– to determine the poorest of the poor who have been most severely affected by the typhoon.

Sec. Taguiwalo reported to President Rodrigo Duterte who flew to Tuguegarao that the ESA funds for the poorest ‘Lawin’-devastated families in regions hit by the typhoon will be ready in a month.

Aside from the ESA, the DSWD will also provide cash for work for affected families.

” We know that the rich and the poor alike have been hit by Lawin, but we need to give priority to the poor because they have so much less and their capabilities for immediate recovery are lower,” she said.

Sec. Taguiwalo said that DSWD and LGU social workers in the region should be mobilized to help determine and verify the neediest families.

“We must ensure that those who need the assistance most will get it as soon as possible. This is the principle of social justice that we want implemented: we must consider the needs of the poor first, ” she said.

Sec. Taguiwalo has already released Memorandum Circular dated October 22 on Emergency Shelter Assistance for Typhoon ‘Lawin’-Affected Families.

“As a result of our aerial survey yesterday and based on initial report of the ongoing Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA) by member agencies of the NDRRMC showing the devastation brought by typhoon ‘Lawin’, the FOs are directed to immediately provide the following services and interventions to the affected families: 1. Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) a. Uniform rate of P5,000.00 each for families with totally and partially destroyed houses as initial assistance. The balance shall be released/paid upon submission by the LGUs thru the FOs its terminal report indicating the final validated count of damaged houses; b. Direct cash payout by the FOs to the beneficiaries to expedite the rebuilding of the damaged shelters; and, c. The final ESA rate shall be determined during the recovery and rehabilitation planning tentatively set in the 1st week of November 2016 taking into account the PDNA report and the capacity and/or resources of the LGUs and other partner stakeholders,” Sec. Taguiwalo added.

Meanwhile, Tuguegarao has zero casualty during the onslaught of ‘Lawin’. ###