In terms of providing emergency shelter assistance (ESA) to the poor families affected by a calamity/disaster, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) often gives Php10,000 to those whose homes were damaged while those whose houses were destroyed are set to receive Php30,000.
But for those affected by Supertyphoon Lawin in northern Philippines, however, Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo ordered the release of a uniform ESA of Php5,000 for the time being to provide immediate help for the affected families instead of waiting for the final assessments.
After all, it could take several weeks before the local governments can comply with the assessments and provide the DSWD with a list of those who need to receive the funds, depending on the extent of damage their homes sustained.
Sec. Taguiwalo requested the local officials to determine which families truly needed the help. Once DSWD gets that list, they could release the remaining balance for the ESA to the affected families.
Aside from the ESA, the DSWD is also offering the affected families with a Cash-for-Work (CFW) assistance. This allows families to earn money to help rebuild their lives and not just wait for dole outs from the government agencies.
