The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Friday it has disbursed more than P30.8 million in emergency cash transfer (ECT) assistance to 5,604 families affected by Typhoon Uwan in Sorsogon province, Bicol Region.
Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD Disaster Response and Management Group (DRMG), who also serves as the agency’s spokesperson, said assistance continues to be delivered uninterrupted despite the holiday season.
“Higit na mas kailangan ng ating mga kababayan ang ganitong tulong mula sa gobyerno sa ganitong panahon. Tulad nga ng laging sinasabi ni Secretary Rex Gatchalian, kahit na maraming opisina na ang nagpapahinga ngayon, tayo sa DSWD tuloy-tuloy pa rin,” Dumlao said.
The ECT payouts were facilitated by DSWD Field Office 5 in Sorsogon City. Families whose houses were totally damaged received P10,263 each, while those with partially damaged houses received P5,287.
In Donsol town, 128 families with totally damaged houses and 2,600 families with partially damaged houses received cash assistance. Meanwhile, in Pilar town, 174 families with totally damaged houses and 2,702 families with partially damaged houses were also granted emergency aid.
Dumlao assured families already listed by their respective Municipal Social Welfare and Development Offices (MSWDOs) but who have yet to receive assistance that additional payouts are forthcoming.
“ECT payouts are given per batch. In fact, today the DSWD Field Office 5 is distributing another batch of ECT in the same province. Even sa ibang probinsya natin tuloy-tuloy din ang emergency cash payouts,” she said.
The release of the emergency cash assistance provided relief to families still recovering from the effects of the typhoon, with beneficiaries expressing gratitude upon receiving support just days before Christmas.
The DSWD said the ECT program serves as an adaptive strategy that bridges immediate disaster response and early recovery by providing unconditional cash assistance to affected families. The initiative aligns with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian to accelerate recovery efforts for disaster-hit communities.