Posted on by MARY ERIEKA OLITRES

Distribution of Family Food Packs in Municipalities of Mansalay and Roxas, Oriental Mindoro

As part of its continuing relief operations, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office MIMAROPA extended financial assistance to the families affected by the oil spill incident in the Provinces of Oriental Mindoro and Palawan.

According to the latest Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC)  report on March 20, DSWD MIMAROPA through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program,  distributed financial aid amounting to Php 9,565,000.00 at Php5,000.00 per beneficiary to some 1,913 households of Barangays Algeciras and Concepcion in Agutaya, Palawan. Also, some 3,772 beneficiaries from Pinamalayan, Pola, Bansud, Bongabong, Naujan, and Roxas, Oriental Mindoro received cash assistance worth Php 2,000.00–2,254 per beneficiary which were paid in partnership with Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla who visited the 5 municipalities in Oriental Mindoro last March 16, 2023. 

Further, DSWD MIMAROPA has distributed more than Php 17 million worth of outright cash aid to the affected population in the region.

Cash for work program for the affected

DSWD MIMAROPA continues to roll out the Cash-for-Work (CFW) Program in the nine (9) affected municipalities of Oriental Mindoro. 

To date, a total of 1,101 beneficiaries of CFW completed the first 5 days of work and already received cash assistance amounting to Php 1,954,275.00 in which Php 1,775.00 were given per beneficiary in the Municipalities of Pola and Bulalacao. The CFW compensation is based on the Regional Minimum Wage Rate of Php 355/day. Meanwhile, other towns in the province will commence the program on March 20 as the social preparation is still ongoing.

The CFW will be monitored by the Provincial Government– Environment and Natural Resources Office (PG-ENRO), Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) and the  Department of Energy and Natural Resources (DENR), while DSWD MIMAROPA will facilitate the payout every after five days. 

Consultation with affected fisherfolks

SLP Regional Program Coordinator Sonia R. De Leon leads the dialogue with the fishers who are greatly affected by the oil spill incident

To further address the immediate needs and provide appropriate interventions to the affected population, the Project Development Officers (PDOs) of the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) conducted a consultation meeting with fifteen (15) fisherfolks in Pola, Oriental Mindoro on March 17, 2023.

In the consultation meeting, the following were identified as alternative livelihood interventions that may be proposed and implemented under SLP and other partner agencies;

  • Revival of the abandoned fishponds and revitalize underutilized fishponds through Cash for Work especially those covered by Fishpond Lease Agreement (FLA) with the government in coordination with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR);
  • Inland aquaculture for the production of fish in coordination with the Department of Agriculture (DA);
  • Communal and backyard gardening in coordination with the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) or Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO);
  • Employment assistance in coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Public Employment Service Office (PESO), and Local Government Unit (LGU) for family members of fisher folks who are unemployed but finished college education and have acquired skills needed for employment; and;
  • Capacity-building on micro-enterprise development and provision of capital assistance in cooperation with the DSWD and Department of Trade and Industry and other partner agencies.

Food and non-food items provided

Aside from financial aid, DSWD MIMAROPA continues to distribute Family Food Packs (FFPs) to the affected families in Oriental Mindoro. Based on the latest report, a total of 26,331 FFPs amounting to Php 18.4 million were distributed to the affected families.

To date, the DSWD provided more than Php 37.8 million of humanitarian aid to the affected population.

DSWD MIMAROPA recorded 23,882 families or 119,277 individuals from 127 barangays who have been affected by the incident.

The DSWD continues to coordinate with the concerned local government units and partner stakeholders to ensure the delivery, timely and appropriate interventions are provided to the affected general public. ###

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