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DSWD provides P4.6-M assistance to oil spill victims in Caluya

By Annabel Consuelo Petinglay

March 10, 2023, 3:07 pm

<p><strong>ASSISTANCE</strong>. A resident of Caluya, Antique affected by the oil spill receives cash assistance under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations of the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Region 6 on Wednesday (March 8, 2023). Beverly Salazar, DSWD-6 Crisis Intervention Section head, said on Friday (March 10) that they released emergency cash assistance to 570 residents on March 8 and 9.<em> (Courtesy of Antique Lone District Rep. Antonio Agapito Legarda Office)</em></p>

ASSISTANCE. A resident of Caluya, Antique affected by the oil spill receives cash assistance under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations of the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Region 6 on Wednesday (March 8, 2023). Beverly Salazar, DSWD-6 Crisis Intervention Section head, said on Friday (March 10) that they released emergency cash assistance to 570 residents on March 8 and 9. (Courtesy of Antique Lone District Rep. Antonio Agapito Legarda Office)

SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (Regional Office in Western Visayas (DSWD-6) has made an initial release of PHP4.6 million cash assistance to 570 families affected by the oil spill in the island municipality of Caluya.

DSWD-6 Crisis Intervention Section Beverly Salazar, in an interview Friday, said the payout consisting of PHP3,000 and PHP5,070 per family was held March 8-9.

“The 570 beneficiaries were identified by the local government unit (LGU) of Caluya to have been affected because of the oil spill from the motor tanker Princess Empress that reached their barangays,” Salazar said.

The distribution was conducted in Barangay Semirara, Sitio Sabang in Barangay Tinogboc and in Sitio Liwagao in Barangay Sibolo in coordination with the office of Antique Lone District Rep. Antonio Agapito Legarda.

“The 570 beneficiaries are just the initial considering that there are around 7,000 residents who have been affected by the oil spill,” Salazar added.

The financial assistance is intended to help the island residents considering their livelihood was affected by the oil spill as most of the people in Caluya are engaged in fishing and seaweed culture.

They were advised to temporarily stop because of possible environmental and health hazards brought by the oil slick.

Aside from the cash assistance, the DSWD has already provided 3,200 food packs to the affected families.

Inquiry

In Manila, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda backed the proposed inquiry on the oil spill and urged concerned government agencies to cooperate, fearing that time is running out.

On Wednesday, Committee on Environment chair Senator Cynthia Villar filed a resolution to conduct the probe.

Villar said Republic Act 9483 or the Oil Pollution Compensation Act covers the liabilities of the owner and insurer of the shipping company responsible for the damage.

The law mandates ship owners to give compensation to the affected sectors.

“I call on all our government agencies to implement speedy actions on the harms caused by the recent oil spill to reduce damage to our ecosystems and fishing grounds, to ease off its effects to coastal towns, which are reliant on fishing and tourism for income, and most importantly, to secure health and safety,” Legarda, a former Antique representative, said in her statement. (PNA)

 

 



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