President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian witnessed the distribution of Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) assistance to 800 families severely affected by Typhoon Emong in the City of San Fernando, La Union today, September 26.

Each family received PhP10,179.00, amounting to a total of PhP8,143,200.00, as augmentation support for their early recovery.

“We are here to ensure that all the assistance we are providing reaches the victims of Typhoon Emong. The DSWD is here, giving relief goods so that at least there is something for them to eat,” President Marcos said.

The beneficiaries were identified by the Local Government Unit (LGU) and validated by the DSWD as families who were severely affected and whose houses were totally damaged during the onslaught of the typhoon.

Based on the Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) report of DSWD Field Office 1, La Union recorded more than 179,000 affected families, with 3,332 houses totally damaged. Of these, 1,612 were in the City of San Fernando, representing 48.37% of the total. From this number, an initial 800 families were prioritized for assistance, giving preference to households with members who are persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and pregnant women.

The ECT is an unconditional cash assistance program that aims to help families meet urgent needs, support their recovery, and assist in the repair of their damaged houses. In addition to the cash assistance, the beneficiaries also received Family Food Packs (FFPs) as complementary food support.

As the lead agency for Early Recovery, the DSWD implements the ECT as part of the government’s continuing efforts to help disaster-affected families recover and address their essential needs.