DSWD ready to release 2nd tranche of ESA

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is ready to download to the local government unit (LGU) the second tranche of Emergency Shelter Assistance for families whose houses were destroyed by super typhoon Yolanda. However, the beneficiaries will receive cash and GI sheets instead of the entire P15,000 due to them.

DSWD Regional Director Nestor Ramos said this arrangement still conforms to the provision of the ESA guidelines as stipulated in Memorandum Circular No. 24 s. 2014 VI (Modality of Assistance) stating that the ESA may be released in cash or in the form of construction materials.

It may be recalled that last June 1, DSWD downloaded to Ormoc P689,369,934.25 which turned out to be insufficient as the number of families rose from 40,673 to 52,325 with the accommodation of more names in the master list, thus reducing the amount received by the beneficiaries.

With the concurrence of the 13^th Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), it was decided that families whose houses were destroyed will receive P15,000 instead of P30,000, while those whose homes were damaged will get P10,000 instead of P15,000 on the premise that the remaining amounts will be requested from the national government thereafter.

DSWD also sent 274,240 GI sheets to make up for the fund gap. Now that the LGU has completed the distribution of ESA, DSWD announced it is ready to download another P289,840,000 for the second tranche. All that is needed is the authority from the SP to allow the mayor to enter into another Memorandum of Agreement with DSWD.

But because of the limited amount, this will be given only to beneficiaries classified under the destroyed home category. Moreover, instead of the entire remaining P15,000 to be given to the destroyed home beneficiaries, they will get only P10,000 cash and nine GI sheets which is equivalent to the P5,000 fund gap.

The mode of releasing ESA in cash and in kind has been done in other municipalities where vouchers for construction materials were given to beneficiaries. “In Tanauan, P10,000 lang ang sa totally (damaged or destroyed) kay natagaan (sila) og GI sheets,” he explained.

Ramos declined to accede to the clamor for the release of the entire P15,000 on top of the GI sheets. “Dili puwede i-approve ang (GI sheets) on top (of the amount) because I would be opening a floodgate of complaints. The question that will be asked is, ‘Direktor, unsa (ba) ka-importante ang Ormoc sa imoha nga tagaan na og P30,000 plus GI sheets? Asa na ang para amoa?’” he said.

Even if he can answer the complaints, he could not do the same to the Commission on Audit (Coa). “Dili man na siya puwede kay kawawa mi sa Coa,” he said.  The GI sheets were supposed to be delivered to Samar and Iloilo but Ramos agreed to release it to Ormoc as its LGU was willing to pick up the items at its own expense.

If the beneficiaries don’t want to accept the GI sheets, the Ormoc LGU can deliver the items back to the DSWD regional office again at its own expense. But this doesn’t mean the beneficiaries can claim the entire P15,000 as DSWD will still have to request the remaining P5,000 from the national government with no assurance of approval.

“So karon, ready mi i-release ang P10,000. So ang remaining P5,000 mag-request kami og kuwarta. Mao na ang procedure nga ma-adopt nato. Ug pananglitan ma-approve na, I am quite certain na hindi na ma-implement. Time is limited na considering that [the] election ban will take effect on Jan. 29. Dili na ta kalihok ana. Dili na ta ka-disburse og kuwarta,” Ramos concluded.