The Bacolod City government, through the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD), in close coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Negros Island Region, will start a weeklong Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) assistance distribution today, Dec. 12, for families whose houses were damaged by Typhoon Tino.
Thousands of homes in Bacolod were damaged and families displaced in the typhoon’s aftermath. The ECT rollout will provide immediate financial relief to affected residents as the city advances long-term rehabilitation efforts.
A total of 677 families with destroyed houses will make up the first batch of recipients, with payouts at the Bacolod City College. Two additional venues — Bacolod City National High School Gym in Brgy. Taculing and Villamonte Gym in Brgy. Villamonte — will open in the coming days to accommodate the steady flow of beneficiaries.
The first batch includes all families with destroyed houses in the city’s 61 barangays and families with damaged houses from barangays 1 to 41, or all numbered barangays, and from Alangilan, Alijis, Banago, and Bata, the city said.
Families with destroyed houses will receive P10,325, while those with damaged houses will get P5,369, in line with the national ECT program. The initiative is a key adaptive disaster response tool that bridges immediate humanitarian support and early recovery through unconditional cash assistance for households in urgent need after large-scale emergencies.
Early this week, barangay captains from 61 barangays met with the DSSD and the City Mayor’s Office to finalize the first-batch procedures. During the meeting, Mayor Greg Gasataya emphasized the need for strong LGU-barangay coordination to ensure an orderly, accountable payout.
“For Granada and Vista Alegre, the commitment of DSWD is that funds are there and there are no problems with it. The challenge is the cash advance which limited them to P114 million. We will try our best to hasten the liquidation of the funds so DSWD can make another CA, this time, for the payout of (affected residents in) other barangays,” Gasataya said.
He also stressed the legal and procedural responsibilities of barangay officials during the distribution, following controversies in the payout of AICS in Iloilo. “The DSWD filed a case against barangay officials allegedly involved. That is why during the payout, you—the barangay captains—should be there, especially on your schedule since the signature in the form is yours. The liability is not just on us and DSSD, this is also on you since your signature is there. We are asking for your help to validate the beneficiaries to ensure that those who were really affected will receive the proper compensation.”
The meeting clarified verification and validation processes, measures to prevent duplicate claims, confirmation of residency and house ownership, and liquidation requirements to ensure transparency throughout the week-long distribution.
The DSSD reminded beneficiaries to adhere strictly to the assigned date, time, and venue posted by their barangays. Claimants must bring a signed FACED or Family Assistance Card in Emergencies and Disasters form and a photocopy of a valid ID with three specimen signatures matching the barangay address on the payroll. A barangay ID will be accepted if no other valid ID is available.
The payout today is the start of a full citywide distribution. In total, 3,430 families with destroyed houses and 14,823 families with damaged houses across select barangays will receive assistance under the DSWD-NIR’s ECT program. ||
