Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo announced that the Department will be providing financial assistance worth P1,000 to families displaced by the still ongoing armed conflict in Marawi City intended for their purchase of food during the Ramadan season.

This will be undertaken through the Department’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), a program that provides cash assistance to families who are in crisis to help them cope with their present situation.

“Marami sa mga ating mga kababayan mula sa Marawi ay mga Muslim. Inaayos natin na makapagbigay ng cash assistance sa kanila dahil Ramadan na. Magdadagdag tayo ng cash para makabili sila ng prutas kasi nagbe-break sila ng fast (Most of our fellow citizens from Marawi are Muslims. We are now processing to provide them cash assistance because it is Ramadan. They can use the assistance to buy fruits because they are breaking their fast),” Sec. Taguiwalo said during a radio interview.

According to Sec. Taguiwalo, the provision of cash assistance was suggested by representatives from Lanao to help Muslim evacuees to still observe Ramadan even if they are inside evacuation centers.

“Natignan po natin at kaya naman nating magbigay ng P1,000 per family na nag-evacuate. Kaya naman nag budget tayo. Aayusin natin ang distribution nito para matiyak na ma-include ang lahat ng nararapat (We have checked that we can provide P1,000 for each family who evacuated. We will process the distribution properly to ensure that all evacuees will be included),” she added.

The Secretary clarified, however, that the provision of the financial aid will only be ‘one-time,’ as the DSWD continues to provide food assistance to the displaced families.

“One-time lang po ito kasi may mga food supplies naman tayo na ibinibigay sa kanila. Pero, pag umuwi na sila sa Marawi, hinahanda po natin ang karagdagang tulong sa kanila, kagaya ng mga tent na pwede nilang magamit for temporary shelter. (This cash assistance is just one-time as we continuously provide them with food supplies. But we are also preparing the provision of additional assistance once they can finally go back to Marawi, such as tents which they can use as temporary shelter),” she said.

As of 6PM yesterday, the armed conflict has displaced a total of 50,327 families or 245,341 persons in 27 barangays in Marawi and 13 barangays in Marantao, Lanao Del Sur.

Of this number, 4,244 families or 20,627 individuals are staying in 63 evacuation centers (ECs), while 44,999 families or 219,339 persons are outside ECs with their relatives or friends in Regions VII, X, XII, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), and Negros Island Region (NIR).

Yesterday, DSWD-Disaster Response Assistance and Management Bureau (DReAMB) OIC-Director Felino Castro and Deputy Bureau Dir. Caloy Padolina, together with DSWD-Field Office (FO) X Dir. Nestor B. Ramos and FO XII Dir. Zorahayda T. Taha, conducted a monitoring and consultation visit of the affected families staying at evacuation centers in Saguiaran, Lanao Del Sur.

Aid from various groups

Meanwhile, Sec. Taguiwalo cited the efforts of different private organizations, humanitarian groups, and individuals as well as local government units (LGUs) outside Mindanao that are extending aid to Marawi-affected families.

“Habang patuloy na nagbibigay ng tulong ang DSWD bilang principal na response agency ng gobyerno, ang mga pribadong organisasyon at LGUs sa labas ng Mindanao ay nagpapadala rin ng ayuda. Nagpapasalamat po tayo sa lahat ng tulong na pinapahatid nila sa ating mga kababayang nakakaranas ngayon ng krisis (While the DSWD continues to provide aid as the principal disaster response agency of the government, private organizations and LGUs outside Mindanao are also extending assistance. We thank them for their help during this difficult situation),” Sec. Taguiwalo said.###