CEBU CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Central Visayas (DSWD-7) clarified that not all typhoon-affected families will receive the 5,000-cash assistance from the national government.
In a meeting with Cebu mayors and officials from various government agencies at the Cebu Capitol on Jan. 5, DSWD-7 assistant regional director for operations Shalaine Lucero said budget constraints will make it impossible to give the P5,000-cash assistance to each of the 475,022 affected families in Cebu Province.
“We just receive instructions from the Office of the President that we give to all affected families and individuals. When we received the instructions even us were shocked, where will we source the P5,000?,” Lucero said during the meeting that was called for by Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia.
In Central Visayas, at least 975,158 families were listed as typhoon Odette affected families.
At P5,000 each, Lucero said at least P4 billion is needed for each family to avail of the cash assistance.
Lucero added that the P4 billion is an amount that the agency doesn't have.
The number of affected families in Cebu Province, excluding Cebu City and Lapu-Lapu City, is expected to increase as the list is still incomplete.
With the insufficient funds, the DSWD-7 clarified that the giving of cash assistance will prioritize indigent families and those whose houses were totally destroyed.
“We will start with those who needed it the most,” said Lucero, who asked the mayors to trim down the list of affected families in their respective areas.
Talisay City, Cebu Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas said it would be best for the DSWD to let the public understand that not all will receive cash assistance.
“The mayors will be put in a very difficult situation here,” Gullas added.
Gullas said that they already received P20 million from the national government but the amount will only be good for 4,000 out of Talisay’s 90,000 affected families.
Liloan Mayor Christina Garcia-Frasco, president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines Cebu Chapter, asked the DSWD to help relay to the national government that additional funds are needed to assist all affected families.
Frasco said the cash assistance that the town will get from the national government will only be able to cover 800 out of the 31,000 affected families.