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 13th 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.
