Release of Ormoc's ESA second tranche set

THE city government submitted to the Department of Social Welfare and Development Region 8 (DSWD-8) the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed by Mayor Edward C. Codilla for the release of the second tranche of the Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) in Ormoc.

City Administrator Francis Pepito and City Legal Officer Ivan Verallo personally handed the MOA to OIC Regional Director Nestor B. Ramos. The MOA indicates that victims of super typhoon Yolanda under the “totally damaged” category will receive the entire P14,286.75 cash balance from the ESA.

To recall, Ormoc was allocated P689,369,934.25 from the Comprehensive Rehabilitation Recovery Plan (CRRP) 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. This reduced by half the P30,000 supposedly due to beneficiaries under the “totally damaged” category to only P15,713.25 on the premise that the balance will be requested from the national government thereafter.

With the conclusion of the ESA distribution last month, Mayor Edward C. Codilla endorsed to the 13^th Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) on Oct. 19 a request that he be authorized to enter into a MOA with DSWD for the release of the second tranche of ESA for those under the “totally damaged” category.

The MOA states that DSWD-8 will download P414,087,162 for the distribution of P14,286.75 to 28,984 families. However, during the meeting called by the SP Committee on Social Welfare, Senior Citizens, Women and Family last Nov. 9, Ramos announced that DSWD can download only P289,840,000 which is good for P10,000 each. The beneficiaries will also receive nine GI sheets to cover the fund gap.

With this information, Councilors Benjamin Pongos and Vincent Rama, committee chairman advised the mayor’s office to submit to the SP a revised MOA indicating that the beneficiaries will receive P10,000 and nine GI sheets instead. It is this MOA which Pepito and Verallo brought to DSWD-8 on Monday.

Ramos told Pepito and Verallo that he pitched for the cash and roofing materials be given because there was no money yet during that time. “At that time we didn’t have additional allocation for the CRRP. After balancing all cash available, we determined we can still allocate,” he said.

Ramos was referring to the P492,652,903.75 savings or unreleased funds from the CRRP for the entire Eastern Visayas. He added he will study if the P414,087,162 needed for ESA’s second tranche in Ormoc can be obligated from the P492,652,903.75 CRRP savings of their agency.