Ensuring the effective and efficient delivery of assistance for families affected by disasters, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) issued an order creating the Integrated Disaster Shelter Assistance Program (IDSAP).

Signed by Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar on 6 February 2024, Department Order No. 2024-004 is issued to established the IDSAP as DHSUD’s post-disaster initiative. The said program defines the interventions and provides implementation guidelines during its three phases: emergency response, early recovery, and rehabilitation and recovery.

“We want a dependable government under Bagong Pilipinas and this program will ensure that the assistance we will be providing is holistic, from the disaster’s onset up to rehabilitation and recovery,” Acuzar said.

In the emergency response phase, coordinated efforts among different agencies and organizations shall ensue, following the onset of the disaster to mitigate its effects. It, likewise, includes the provision of a one-time emergency shelter support (ESS) for households with totally damaged houses to address their immediate housing needs.

The department provided the implementation guidelines for this phase through Memorandum Circular No. 2024-002, which was also signed on the same day.

“We want our disaster-affected kababayans to immediately receive the government’s assistance. They already suffered from typhoons, earthquakes… we want to alleviate that by fast-tracking the delivery of our services,” added the housing czar.

Undersecretary Randy Escolango, the department's Undersecretary for Disaster Response, is tasked to implement the emergency response phase under IDSAP. Undersecretary Escolango is also assigned to constitute the Shelter Response Team (SRT), which is aimed to assist and augment efforts on the ground to deliver shelter assistance for disaster victims.

Under this phase, a one-time emergency shelter support amounting to P15,000 shall be given to eligible families, subject to availability of funds. Eligibility and documentation requirements are, likewise, provided, as well as the vulnerability criteria.

Also detailed in the issuance are procedures on the implementation of emergency shelter support, fund management, monitoring and reporting of the implementation and the structure and manpower requirements.

Meanwhile, IDSAP’s second and third phases shall focus on early recovery, and rehabilitation and recovery. Efforts on Phase 2 are directed towards helping affected areas regain a sense of normalcy and stability. The last phase, meanwhile, covers the restoration and improvement of living conditions post-disaster and reduce risk factors, in accordance with the “build back better” principles.

“With the number of disasters occurring in our country, we remain steadfast to our commitment to exhaust all efforts to help our countrymen, not only those affected by the disaster but also those living in danger zones as a proactive measure which is what we are currently doing under Pambansang Pabahay,” Acuzar said, reiterating the department’s stern commitment to provide safe and decent yet affordable shelters to every Filipino family.