DSWD to give over P25-M housing aid to storm victims in NegOr
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, June 20 (PIA) -- Over 3,000 families in Negros Oriental whose houses were affected by typhoon Sendong that hit the country December last year are set to receive their housing aid from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
A total of 2,883 storm-hit families here are expected to receive on Thursday, June 21, their Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) from DSWD, during the simultaneous pay-out ceremonies at the Provincial Convention Center in Dumaguete City and the City Hall in Tanjay City.
Each ESA family beneficiary whose houses are categorized as partially damaged will receive P5,000 in aid to repair their homes, according to DSWD-7 regional information officer Jaybee Binghay in a statement.
Those with totally damaged houses but are not willing to be relocated will each receive P10,000, she added.
During the cash aid payout, another 134 Sendong-affected families will also get their Core Shelter Assistance Project (CSAP) aid for the construction of brand-new houses in the towns of Siaton and Bacong.
Families benefiting from the CSAP whose houses were found totally damaged will be relocated to a new site with P70,000 for each family to build their own “core shelter units” in said towns.
On the other hand, families under CSAP who will be re-building their housing units right in their own lot or property in a cluster of five families are expected to receive P50,000.
Families benefiting from the ESA and CSAP funding aid are from the following Sendong-hit areas: Siaton, Sibulan, Bacong, Valencia, San Jose, Amlan, Pamplona, Mabinay, and the cities of Dumaguete and Tanjay, with a total of 3,017 beneficiaries.
DSWD-7 Regional Director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre said that the ESA and CSAP funds aim to address the housing needs of the Sendong victims.
Of the total funds, P15,940,000 is set aside for the ESA, while the remaining P9,380,000 is for the construction of 134 core shelter units.
Macapobre added that the local government units (LGUs) concerned must be able to comply with all the requirements especially on the availability of a lot where the core shelter houses will be constructed, as a counterpart from the LGU.
“This project aims not only to provide new and safer relocation site among the town beneficiaries but also bring out their maximum participation in the construction of their houses the ‘Bayanihan’ way,” said Binghay. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
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DAR tackles CARP issues with NGOs in Dumaguete
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, June 20 (PIA) -- The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) here met with representatives from non-government organizations (NGOs) to discuss issues involving the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) in Negros Oriental.
Officials from DAR central office in Manila and provincial office here sat down with the NGO representatives in a two-day workshop-dialogue dubbed “Problem-Solving Session with Focus Global” held last June 4 and 5 at the Plaza Ma. Luisa Suites Inn.
Focus Global is an NGO based in the National Capital Region serving as the national secretariat of the Save Agrarian Reform Alliance.
During the dialogue, recommendations were laid down on how best to address the concerns of civil society organizations raised during the latest CARPER assessment done on the landholdings that the NGO members are engaged in.
“One of the agreements reached during the dialogue was the conduct of regular monthly sessions by members of DAR’s special action team to tackle issues and concerns related to CARP implementation at the municipal level,” said Gherelene Mae Rafols, provincial DAR information officer, in a statement.
Similar discussions on a quarterly basis will also be done at the provincial and central office levels, said Rafols.
The special action team from DAR central office present during said dialogue are Assistant Director Lilibeth Lee, Assistant Director Ana Maria Castelo, Atty. Aison Garcia, Atty. Louis De Los Santos, Jr., and from the provincial office, Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer II Stephen Leonidas.
The NGOs that form part of Focus Global, who were represented during the dialogue, are Negros Oriental Center for People’s Empowerment and Development, Negros Oriental Institute for Rural Development, Pambansang Koalisyon ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan Inc., and the Negros Farmers Council. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)