DSWD aids Opong-hit Masbate

DSWD aids Opong-hit Masbate | Daily Tribune

Following the aftermath left by Typhoon Opong, Masbateños whose houses were damaged will start receiving financial assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) by mid-October according to Secretary Rex Gatchalian.

In the DSWD Chief video message in his official Facebook account, he stated that beneficiaries with totally damaged houses will receive P10,263, while those with partially damaged homes will get P5,287.

“We will start next week, wait for the announcement, you will learn the final schedule in your area from the department and your local official,” Secretary Gatchalian said in Filipino

“We will also announce where our payouts for the financial assistance will happen for those with totally and partially damaged homes," he added.

Typhoon Opong left the Philippine Area of Responsibility on 27, September 2025. Earlier this week, Masbate Governonr Kho reported that around 152,840 families or 600,000 individuals were affected by the Typhoon. A total of 80, 251 houses were partially damaged while 20,556 were completely destroyed.

The cash aid that the affected residents will receive is under the Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) of the department, providing unconditional grants to disaster-affected populations as an early recovery support.

Sec. Gatchalian clarified that the source of funding is from the DSWD and not from the local government unit (LGUs). The payout will be done by batches and will be managed by the department’s employees.

“The funds will not be from the funds of LGU. All of this will be coming from the Department of Social Welfare and Development,” Sec. Gatchalian emphasized

DSWD reminded the residents to rely only on verified announcements from the official DSWD social media pages regarding payout schedules and assistance details.

“In times like this, there’s a lot of fake news spreading around. Don’t easily believe them, what’s important is you receive the right help coming from the right information,” Sec. Gatchalian said.