A Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) executive on Thursday, Aug. 1 assured that the agency is ready to provide various support services to fisherfolk affected by the MT Terra Nova oil spill.

In a media forum, DSWD-Program Management Bureau (PMB) Assistant Director Edwin Morata announced that all affected fishermen and their families may avail themselves of assistance under the “Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program” (AKAP), subject to initial assessment and validation by social workers.

“There's a need for assessment and validation to look into kung ano pa ang pwedeng maibigay maliban po doon sa pang-araw-araw po na pagtugon sa pangangailangan nila (what additional assistance can be provided beyond the daily response to their needs),” Morata said.

Morata explained that the AKAP Program is designed to serve as a safety net for minimum wage earners, helping to prevent them from falling further below the poverty line.

“Kung may pangangailangan, for example, medikal, pwede po silang pumasok sa medical assistance po natin kasi nakaakibat pa rin po iyon sa AKAP program. If ever po na may namatay, during those period ay maaari po silang mag-avail ng burial assistance (If there is a need, for example, medical, they can access our medical assistance since it is still linked to the AKAP program. If there is a death during that period, they can also avail of burial assistance),” the DSWD official said.

“Hindi po tayo one line of provision lang. As much as possible, we want to consider everything na mayroong pangangailangan ang isang indibidwal (We do not offer just a single line of provision. As much as possible, we aim to consider all the needs of an individual),” he added.

“Maliban po doon sa cash outright assistance na ibibigay po natin, I think, food box will also be provided if may request pong na-receive from local government units para po maipadala po natin agad sa kanila ang mga ito (In addition to the cash assistance that we will provide, I believe food boxes will also be distributed if we receive requests from local government units so that we can send these immediately),” he also said.

Under the directive of President Marcos, an inter-agency task force has been established to swiftly address the effects of the oil spill from MT Terra Nova, which is owned by Shogun Ships Company, Inc., and sank off the coast of Limay, Bataan on July 25.

The task force, which will be led by the Office of the Civil Defense, consists of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippine Coast Guard, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Health, Department of Labor and Employment, and DSWD.