Aquino gov’t starts distributing emergency shelter assistance to landslide victims in Compostela Valley

by | Apr 26, 2011 | Headlines, National News

THE Aquino government started distributing emergency shelter assistance (ESA) to the
families affected by a landslide in a remote gold mining area in southern Philippines’
Compostela Valley.

In a news briefing at Malacanang, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda announced on
Tuesday that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) started distributing
ESA in the amount of P5,000 each to victims of the landslide that buried shanties last week.

Lacierda said the government started undertaking measures to extend assistance to victims
of the landslide by providing them ESA as well as food packs.

The government, Lacierda stressed, will also implement a self-employment assistance
program through the DSWD for the qualified local residents who were affected by the
tragedy.

“For a more long-term assistance, the DSWD will assess if those who have been affected by
the landslide are eligible for the self-employment assistance program of the DSWD,” he said.

Relocation efforts in the affected areas were intensified with the local government working at
the forefront. “With respect to the relocation efforts in these areas, the local government will
be taking care of that,” he said.

The landslide caused by heavy rains buried shanties in a mining area at Compostela Valley
before dawn on Good Friday, killing several people and leaving scores of residents missing.
(PCOO)

Aquino vows to improve Conditional Cash Transfer program

by | Sep 17, 2010 | Headlines, National News

President Benigno S. Aquino III vowed to improve the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program and make it more effective for the benefit of the most vulnerable members of society.

In his message at the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program on Wednesday at the Cebu Coliseum in Cebu City, the Chief Executive said he is aware of complaints on payment issues such as lower-entitlement and no cash in card, missing names in the payroll list or delay in the delivery of cash grants—which are hindrances to the program’s objectives.

The President told the program beneficiaries that the DSWD is implementing the National Household Targeting System to identify the families that most urgently need assistance in order to ensure that social funds are spent wisely on the most vulnerable members of our society.

“A well-targeted CCT program will truly afford the poor’s opportunity to enjoy basic human services that were once extremely difficult to avail,” the President said.

The President also said that the FY2011 proposed budget will fund urgently needed programs on education, health and job generation.

In the said budget, P 21.2 billion was allocated for CCT which will be distributed to 2.3 million household beneficiaries.

The 4Ps is a poverty reduction and social development program that provides conditional cash grants to extremely poor households to improve their health, nutrition and education, particularly of children aged 0-14. (PCOO/PIA)