DILG: Distribution of cash assistance for Odette victims eyed to start Jan. 5

The distribution of cash assistance for victims of Typhoon Odette, which range from P1,000 to P5,000 per family, may start on Wednesday, January 5, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Monday.

DILG Secretary Eduardo Año made the announcement during President Rodrigo Duterte's Talk to the People on Tuesday night and which was aired Wednesday morning.

"P4.8 billion of cash assistance has been released by the Department of Budget and Management to local government units last Monday, January 3, and we expect that the distribution will start on January 5," Año said.

"We also conducted orientation on distribution. It will be P1,000 per individual, and a maximum of P5,000 per family," he added.

Typhoon Odette's devastation a week before Christmas in 2021 has prompted Duterte to place Regions 4B, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 13 under a state of calamity.

The damage brought about by Odette on public and private infrastructure, as well as agriculture, has already amounted to P24.5 billion so far based on government estimates.

Likewise, Odette has affected around 4.8 million individuals amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. —KG, GMA News