PAYOUT. Personnel of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-5 (Bicol) distributes financial assistance to Mayon unrest-affected families in Camalig, Albay as part of the early recovery aid provided by the agency through the Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) program. A total of PHP64.5 million worth of aid was provided to 5,239 families during three days of distribution on Oct. 13-15, 2023. (Photo courtesy of DSWD-Bicol)
LEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-5 (Bicol) has distributed PHP64.5 million worth of financial assistance to more than 5,200 families affected by the Mayon Volcano eruption.
In an interview on Monday, Carl James Cabarles, DSWD-Disaster Response Management Division information officer, said the financial assistance is part of the early recovery aid provided by the agency through the Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) program that was implemented after the families were allowed to return to their homes early this month.
"The PHP64.5 million worth of ECT will support the needs of the 5,239 affected families to rebuild their lives. They are from the local government units of Ligao City, Guinobatan, Daraga, Camalig, Tabaco City, Santo Domingo and Malilipot. The families received the aid from Oct. 13-15. Each family received PHP12,330 as second tranche of the ECT program," Cabarles said.
He said this is given in response to the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian to provide financial assistance to all families affected by Mayon Volcano's unrest.
"The ECT is one of the DSWD programs that provide immediate disaster relief, humanitarian response and early recovery support that offers cash aid particularly in areas declared under a state of calamity," Cabarles said.
In total, DSWD-Bicol has distributed PHP134.5 million worth of cash assistance to families affected by the Mayon eruption under the ECT program.
All Mayon-affected families have returned home after the provincial government of Albay issued a decampment advisory last Oct. 5.
However, Alert Level 3 is maintained over the volcano, which means it is currently in a relatively high level of unrest and hazardous eruption within weeks or even days is still possible, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in an advisory on Monday.
It is recommended that the six-kilometer radius permanent danger zone remains uninhabited due to the danger of pyroclastic density currents, lava flows, rock falls and other volcanic hazards. (PNA)
