The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced Thursday that it has issued revised guidelines on the implementation of the Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) program to make it more responsive amid the multiple disasters affecting the country.

Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) said the new guidelines make the ECT program more aligned with disaster response and early recovery efforts for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

“At the impact and immediate post-impact phase of a disaster, the ECT may be provided to IDPs for their relief and early recovery needs. The cash assistance provided can be used to buy nutritious food, hygiene items, medicine, clothing, and other supplies which are not included in the relief packages provided by the DSWD,” Dumlao, who also serves as the agency’s spokesperson, said.

The ECT provides unconditional cash assistance to affected families requiring aid after a calamity. During the first 90 days after a disaster, the ECT may also help cover hospital expenses, transportation, education, and livelihood support—provided beneficiaries have not received similar aid from other agencies.

Dumlao said the assistance may also extend into the rehabilitation and recovery phase, as outlined in the Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan (RRP).

“Ninety days after a disaster, the provision of ECT may be extended to form part of the rehabilitation and recovery efforts for IDPs. The cash assistance at this stage is usually to support livelihood recovery and other income-generating activities of the disaster-affected families,” she explained.

The revised guidelines establish clearer “trigger mechanisms” for the program’s rollout. These include the declaration of a state of calamity, confirmation of market operability in affected areas, and the inclusion of ECT needs in the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) report.

Dumlao said these provisions ensure that the program is both timely and effective. “We need to assess whether local markets in disaster-affected areas are functional and able to supply goods and services to meet the needs of families. This ensures that the cash assistance interventions are appropriate and will indeed be of help,” she noted.

Under the updated rules, ECT beneficiaries include both severely and slightly affected families impacted by natural and human-induced disasters, such as typhoons, floods, landslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, armed conflicts, and health outbreaks.

Severely affected families include those with totally damaged homes, prolonged displacement, or significant loss of livelihood. Slightly affected families are those with partially damaged homes or short-term displacements but still in need of limited financial support.

“We assure the public that the DSWD’s ECT program is implemented in accordance with the needs of the target beneficiaries. Although we are dealing with consecutive disasters and their massive destructive effects, the DSWD affirms that the cash assistance will be given to the affected families to aid them in their early recovery and rehabilitation,” Dumlao said.

The DSWD has already rolled out ECT assistance for those affected by the Cebu and Davao earthquakes and by Typhoons Opong and Ramil in Masbate and Capiz, respectively.