DSWD-6 sends P15.2M aid to oil spill affected areas in Antique

By Jennifer P. Rendon

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Region 6 said it has provided P15,292,530 in assistance to families affected by the oil spill in Antique province.

Atty. May Rago-Castillo, DSWD-6 public information officer, said the assistance given was in the form of food and non-food items and cash.

From March 6 to 11, the agency provided 6,600 family food packs (FFPs) worth P 3,486,600 to the local government of Caluya.

On March 08, it sent 95 non-food items – boots, modular tents, sakoline – worth P189,150.

“From March 8 to 10, the agency provided cash assistance to 570 families amounting to P4,599,900,” Castillo said.

Each family received P8,070 under the agency’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) and Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) program.

On Monday, March 13, DSWD-6 again released P7,016,880 or P8,112 for the 866 families under the ECT program.

Vice President Sara Duterte arrived in Semirara Island to personally distribute the ECT aid and food box from the Office of the Vice President.

DSWD Undersecretary Marco Bautista, Assistant Secretary Diane Cajipe, DSWD-6 regional director Atty. Carmelo Nochete, and assistant regional director Arwin Razo were in attendance for the simultaneous payout in three venues in Barangays Tinogboc, Semirara, and Alegria in Caluya town.

The spill affected four villages in Caluya.

Aside from Tinogboc, Semirara, and Alegria, the other affected barangay is Sibolo.

Castillo said the number of affected families totaled 8,387 (30,226 individuals).

Meanwhile, the DSWD-6 is also currently implementing the cash-for-work (CFW) program in Caluya.

There are 1,200 beneficiaries for Batch 1 of the CFW program.

Castillo said the CFW implementation aims at helping the islands of Caluya in cleaning up while providing financial augmentation to the oil spill-affected families.