Mishap victims receive financial assistance

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

ASSISTANCE has been pouring in for the survivors and families of the casualties in the Iloilo Strait mishaps.

The Iloilo City government on Tuesday extended financial assistance to the representatives of the 18 survivors and the 19 fatalities of the accident.

“Ang gintagaan ta una manugpuli ni sila subong nga hapon. May releasing pa bwas and ginaprocess lang ang mga documents. Ang kwarta halin sa aton city emergency fund,” Rosario Sanagustin, executive assistant for social welfare of the city, said in an interview on Tuesday.

Families of fatalities from Iloilo City will receive P50,000 from the city government while the survivors will get P5,000.

At the same time, residents who are not from the city will receive P10,000 for the fatalities and P5,000 for the survivors.

The Guimaras provincial government has also extended financial assistance for the funeral expenses of the three casualties of the accident worth P23,500 each.

This is apart from the financial aid given to the Guimaras victims, casualties, and survivors who are under medication.

Various government agencies also provided other forms of assistance to the victims.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-6 facilitated the documents, particularly death certificates and transportation of the cadavers.

Together with Department of Health (DOH), the department conducted Mental Health and Psycho Social Support (MHPSS) with survivors and the bereaved families.

DSWD-6 also shouldered part of the funeral expenses of the three casualties worth P20,000.

The social welfare department also agreed to provide financial assistance for the burial processing of the 28 fatalities, together with the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD)-6.

Several agencies such as the DOH-6, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-6, and OCD-6, among others, also provided help.

Assistance and support have also been pouring in from volunteer groups, civic society organizations, groups, and private individuals ever since the sea tragedy happened.

As of 3 p.m. Aug. 6, the Joint Incident Command Post reported that casualties remained at 28, while three are still missing.

Two bodies were found in the waters of Dumangas on Tuesday.

The number of survivors is 64, including 52 passengers and 12 crew members of all three boats.

The three boats which were carrying a total of 83 passengers and 12 crew members capsized in two separate accidents in the Iloilo Strait last Saturday.