DSWD Regional Director Marie Angela Gopalan in the ceremonial turn-over of the launching of the Special Convergence Mission.
The DSWD Field Office VIII recently extended a total of Php 675,000.00 or Php5,000.00 to each of the 135 families of victims of the Inopacan massacre, during the launching of the Special Convergence Mission held recently at the Municipal Gymnasium of Baybay, Leyte.
The said financial aid is part of the said agency’s Assistance to Individuals In Crisis Situation (AICS), one of the DSWD’s frontline services which intends to aid in the recovery of the poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals and families in crisis situation or difficult circumstances.
During the mission, DSWD participates in the services caravan where the distribution of aid and promotional materials took place.
The victims coming from Inopacan, Baybay, and Mahaplag were allegedly military informants and became targets of execution by the communist terrorist group sometime in the 1980’s. Buried in a mass grave, their bodies were recovered in 2006.
Meanwhile, DSWD Field Office VIII continues to implement the service through its Crisis Intervention Section at the Field Office and Social Welfare Action and Development Team Satellite Offices in the provinces. The support comes in the form of financial and material thru outright cash or guarantee letter for medical, burial, educational, food, and transportation purposes.
One of the series of orientations conducted, with social worker Leah Abarquez giving the briefing.
Social worker Leah Abarquez of the Crisis Intervention Section (CIS) bared that a Revised Guidelines on the Implementation of the AICS has been issued through Memorandum Circular No. 11 series of 2019 to strengthen implementation and ensure efficient and effective delivery of services to the clients.
Last week, it started conducting orientations on the revised procedures for all local government units in the region.
Abarquez disclosed that added in the new guidelines is the provision of cash assistance for a child-victim of online sexual exploitation and other sexual abuse cases, families of individuals or uniformed personnel who were killed or wounded during police or military operation, repatriated or deported overseas Filipino social workers, persons living with HIV, survivor-victims of violence against women and children, rebel-returnees, victims of fire, armed conflict and other incidents putting those affected in crisis situation.
CIS Head Irene Permejo, meanwhile, emphasized that the social worker’s assessment is of primary consideration in extending assistance.#