Naguilian, La Union – DSWD Field Office (FO) 1 granted PhP2,449,400.00 emergency shelter assistance (ESA) to 74 households assessed with totally-damaged houses after the onslaught of Typhoon Ompong on 16 September 2018. Each household received PhP30,000.00 ESA and an additional PhP3,100.00 Cash-For-Work (CFW) assistance. The CFW is a 10-day undertaking to reconstruct and/or rehabilitate the damaged houses where daily labor payment is based on the Regional Minimum Wage of Region 1 set by the National Wages and Productivity Commission.

“Ang natanggap po namin na tulong ay magagamit bilang panimula para buuing muli ang aming tahanan. Maraming salamat DSWD (The assistance we received will be used to rebuild our home. Thank you DSWD),” said Warlyn H. Cabading, a recipient from Brgy. Suguidan Norte. Despite the unfortunate circumstance, Warlyn remains resilient and plans to construct a safer home in their family’s compound situated at a higher ground.

In full smile, Rogelio Aquino, 77, a resident of Barangay Sili, thanked the Department for going to the barangay to personally hand-in the shelter assistance. Living alone, he hopes to rehabilitate a stronger house near the area where his light material-made shack was totally wrecked by the typhoon.

In Region 1, there are 2,200 ESA recipients who were validated with totally-damaged houses with a fund allocation of PhP73,349,600.00. ESA pay-outs are currently conducted by the DSWD FO 1 Disaster Response Management Division throughout the region. # By: Darwin T. Chan, Social Marketing Unit