- The Department of Social Welfare and Development said it released millions of pesos for El Niño
- Agency said P908.4 M is allotted for people affected by the El Niño phenomenon
- P523.8 million is from climate mitigation and adaptation fund; P384.6 million is from agency’s quick response funds
Millions of pesos were released for the people affected by the El Niño phenomenon, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) disclosed on Tuesday, April 5.
In an article written by BAP of GMA News, it was disclosed that a total of P908.4 million was given to help the people affected by El Niño. During a press briefing, DSWD Assistant Secretary for Operations and Programs Group-Protective Programs Vilma Cabrera said that as of April 4, the agency released P523.8 million from the climate mitigation and adaptation fund and another P384.6 million from the agency’s quick response funds.
Meanwhile, in Central Mindanao, the department has released P52.2 million, P35.9 million, and P12.054 million to North Cotabato, South Cotabato and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, repectively under a cash-for-work program.
In General Santos, the DSWD, in partnership with the National Food Authority distributed 10,000 bags of rice. In SOCCSKSARGEN, an additional P251 million was spent on cash-for-work program while food packs were distributed to the families.
The cash-for-work program is a 10-day working opportunity wherein the government pays a worker 70 percent of the local minimum wage, it was disclosed. The program is open to small farmers and fisherfolk belonging to poor households.
A need to look closer
Meanwhile, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Emmanuel Esguerra said that although the government has been successful in mitigating the effects of El Niño, there is still a need to take a closer look at all the affected areas.
“We are certainly bothered by the fact that there are people who still go hungry. There could be areas that are not yet being reached by government interventions,” he said.
Post a Comment