The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office Eight, headed by Regional Director Nestor Ramos, recently called on all City and Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officers of 63 hard – hit areas of super typhoon Yolanda in a one – day orientation and planning workshop on the Department’s Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) Program. Such move is for local social workers to better understand the scope of the project and the eligibility requirements of recipients as well.

Assistant Secretary for Protective Programs, Vilma Cabrera, who was one of the major speakers of the activity held in Ormoc City, emphasized that the shelter assistance is prioritized for those families with totally and partially damaged houses and whose monthly income of a family of six is below the food threshold. The food threshold in urban areas is Php 10, 936.00 and Php9, 767.00 in rural areas, per poverty statistic report of the National Census and Statistics Board.

She mentioned another requirement, either they own the property or has permission to stay in the area for a longer period and the site is a safe zone. They should not also be recipients of any other housing assistance from any other agency for the disaster, Cabrera added.

On the other hand, the DSWD official told local social workers to “please don’t take the Disaster Family Access Card (DFAC, commonly called as “green card”) for granted.” She pressed the value of said card as basis for determining the proposed beneficiaries for such assistance.

Cabrera said, “we need to look into priorities according to vulnerabilities.” The deadline for submission of the access cards by local government units to the DSWD was originally set last July, but the Assistant Secretary announced in said forum that it be moved to September 15.

The local social welfare and development office shall ensure that all qualified beneficiaries have the family access card. “ The information taken from DFAC is needed in coming up with the masterlist. “Processing for all the cards takes three months,” Cabrera revealed.

For those with totally damaged houses, the family gets Php30, 000.00 while those with partially damaged houses, the cost of assistance is Php10,000.00. DSWD Regional Director Ramos reported that the municipality of Tanauan, Leyte started last week its distribution of ESA for 13, 869 families amounting to Php 228, 050,000.00.

Ramos said together with Tanauan is Palompon which have submitted their project proposals for ESA funding. The proposal of the latter municipality, which needs funding of Php 243,170,000.00, is still under review.

The DSWD Regional Director pointed out that “ the fund is not with us. Every time a project proposal is submitted, that is the time the fund is downloaded to the region.”

Ramos is calling local government units of the Yolanda hard – hit areas to hasten the submission of the needed documents. These are : Disaster Terminal Report, to include brief situationer from time of disaster to date of report, nature and date of occurrence, areas and population affected, damage to the population and community, services extended by whom/where/when, and brief description of strategies used, strength and weaknesses of operation, actions taken and recommendation for future action.

Also needed are Rehabilitation Plan, Project Proposal on the rehabilitation project and specific counterpart of LGUs and time line for shelter implementation, notarized deed of donation/documents attesting the availability of sites/lot for shelter project, Sanggunian Bayan resolution approving/endorsing proposed housing project, certification from local treasurer on availability of calamity fund to be used as counterpart for the rehabilitation project. Others are the masterlist of proposed beneficiaries based on family access cards with individual picture of family heads prepared by the local social welfare and development officers and certified by the Municipal Shelter Committee, certification issued by the DENR Mines and Geo-science Bureau, and formal endorsement of the Field Office.# (Vina P. Aquino, Regional Information Officer.) #