President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Thursday led the distribution of assistance to nearly 800 families in La Union affected by #EmongPH, while announcing that billions in government savings would be redirected to social aid.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) handed out cash assistance worth P8.14 million under its Emergency Cash Transfer Program with each beneficiary receiving P10,179. Family food packs were also distributed.
“Kaya’t kailangan gumawa ng plano para lahat ng tinamaan ng bagyo ay mabibigyan ng tulong,” Marcos said.
One of the recipients, 69-year-old Marieta Viduya, whose house was destroyed by the typhoon last July, was thankful.
“Dakkel nga tulong ti naitedda kaniami,” she said.
According to the DSWD, more than 179,000 families were affected by Typhoon Emong, with over 3,000 houses totally damaged. The provincial government said recovery is now at around 80 percent.
“I would say 75-80 percent na recovered na. There are still others na hindi pa nagagawa na mga bahay pero nakapag reach out na kami sa kanilang lahat,” Governor Mario Ortega said.
The Office of the President and the Department of Agriculture also distributed P3,000 fuel assistance and fertilizer support to 275 farmers in the province, part of a P43-million allocation for Region 1 that will benefit more than 13,000 farmers.
Marcos further announced that his administration had saved over P195 billion after halting questionable DPWH flood control projects flagged for corruption.
Of this amount, P36 billion will be allotted to DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) and Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).
“Nakapag savings tayo dahil marami kaming nakita na mga project na hindi tumutugon sa problema tsaka may ghost projects pa, kaya itinigil ko ang lahat ng ’yan, para matiyak na tama ang paggamit ng pera ninyo, dahil pera ninyo ito, hindi ito pera ng gobyerno, pera ito ng taumbayan, kaya tinitiyak natin na tama ang gawa. Sa kakaimbestiga natin nakapag savings tayo ng malaki,” Marcos said.
