A total of 781 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental received financial aid, amounting to P5,205 each, through the Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Region 7.
The distribution was facilitated by the Disaster Response Management Division (DRMD) Field Office 7, which aims to support households severely impacted by the ongoing unrest of Mt. Kanlaon.
DSWD personnel visited nine evacuation centers across the city to hand out cash assistance to household representatives, from June 3-5.
One beneficiary shared that he plans to use the assistance to purchase school supplies for his grandchildren as they prepare to return to class this Monday, June 16.
DSWD7 director Shalaine Marie Lucero emphasized that the ECT program is intended to provide immediate relief to families whose livelihoods have been disrupted by the restiveness of Mt. Kanlaon, that is under Alert Level 3 since Dec. 9 last year.
“The emergency cash transfer is DSWD’s way of ensuring that every family affected by the prolonged unrest of Mt. Kanlaon receives timely support to meet their basic needs. This eruption has deeply impacted the lives of Canlaon City residents, and this initiative reflects the department’s commitment to prioritizing the welfare of every Filipino,” Lucero said in a press release June 12.
The ECT provides direct cash aid to disaster-affected families, helping them recover by purchasing essentials like food, medicine, hygiene kits, and household items. ||
