The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Saturday, Nov. 25, assisted the bereaved family of the four children involved in a vehicular accident in Porac, Pampanga.
According to the report of Police Regional Office 3, Director Brig. Gen. Jose Hidalgo Jr., the four children—aged 2, 6, 8, and 10—and their father, Edmund Canlapan Escoto, were in a tricycle bound to Porac town proper on Nov. 22 when it collided with a pickup truck driven by Rodrigo Palma Jr.
The collision forced the tricycle into the opposite lane, after which a dump truck rammed it.
The four children were pronounced dead on the spot, while their father was rushed to the nearest hospital to receive treatment by concerned bystanders.
DSWD-Field Office 3 in Central Luzon personnel visited the deceased's wake and provided cash assistance of P20,000 in food aid.
They have also provided the family with a guarantee letter for funeral and burial assistance for the parents of the deceased children.
DSWD Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications and spokesperson Romel Lopez assured the family of continuous assistance from the department.
"The DSWD is dedicated to supporting families in their time of need, as the loss of a loved one is an unbearable and overwhelming experience," Lopez said.
The DSWD FO-3 will also deploy personnel who will provide psychological counseling to the bereaved family to help them cope with the untimely death of their loved ones.
Lopez further guaranteed the department's commitment to providing the bereaved family with extra support and assistance and coordinating with other organizations to ensure the family gets the necessary interventions.