Photo by: Ms. Maricel Caleja
DSWD Field Office 1 Director Marcelo Nicomedes J. Castillo (in yellow shirt) together with DRMD OIC – Chief Maricel Caleja (leftmost) attend an early recovery and rehabilitation plan meeting spearheaded by Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos (rightmost).

Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 1 (DSWD FO 1) will provide PhP20 million cash-for-work (CFW) project to high risk and vulnerable individuals affected by Typhoon Ompong as part of the early recovery and rehabilitation plan of the Province of Ilocos Norte.

During the meeting on 18 September 2018 with Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos, together with other government offices, one of the urgent actions of the Province is to conduct CFW to generate temporary employment and provide income augmentation to affected families and individuals.

Disaster Response Management Division (DRMD) OIC – Chief Maricel S. Caleja shared that the CFW, in relation with DSWD’s Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation (CCAM) projects, is a 10-day undertaking wherein recipients will receive 75% of the prevailing daily wage rate set by the National Wages and Productivity Commission. In the case of Region 1, the minimum regional wage rate is PhP280.00, thus, the individuals who will be participating in the temporary work such as rehabilitation of denuded watershed areas, establishment of green walls, and establishment and maintenance of mangrove plantation site will receive PhP210.00 daily.

The Provincial Government also prioritizes the housing reconstruction and rehabilitation of calamity stricken families. To expedite the implementation of the housing program, the DSWD FO 1 requested a validated list of damaged houses to be included under the Department’s Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA). Under ESA, households with partially- and totally-damaged houses will receive PhP10,000.00 and PhP30,000.00 cash assistance, respectively. (by: Darwin T. Chan, PDO III)