DSWD assures continuous coordination with LGUs affected by Mindoro oil spill
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian assured that the agency is continuously coordinating with the local government units (LGUs) affected by the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro in February.
“Ang policy ng DSWD, base sa instruction ng ating Pangulo, is to work with the local government units (The policy of the DSWD, based on the instruction of President Marcos, is to work with the local government units). In the case of Mindoro, we have reported this numerous times now, the food packs tuloy-tuloy yun when the oil spill was running,” Gatchalian said during a press briefing in Malacañang on Tuesday, Aug. 15.
“Nagbigay kami ng two or three waves ng emergency cash transfers to include the town of Pola and all towns affected. Meron din kaming nilunsad diyan na cash-for-work tulad ng Department of Labor and Employment para multiple ‘yung interventions (We gave two or three waves of emergency cash transfers to include the town of Pola and all towns affected. We also launched cash-for-work there like what the Department of Labor and Employment did to ensure multiple interventions),” the DSWD chief said.
According to the DSWD, there were 40,583 cash-for-work beneficiaries in Mimaropa (Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) who received financial aid totaling P228,190,450.
DSWD-Mimaropa also distributed 294,295 food packs to residents in oil spill-affected areas.
Despite the resumption of fishing activities in the areas affected by the oil spill, Gatchalian stressed that he has been in communication with the governor of Mindoro Oriental to ask for any additional interventions that their local governments may require.