Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian is scheduled to visit areas in Mindanao on Tuesday to launch the distribution of nearly 800 million pesos in emergency cash assistance for earthquake survivors.
The rollout follows an earlier distribution of food packs and emergency supplies to families affected by a recent 7.8 magnitude earthquake, according to Maria Isabel Lanada, director of the DSWD Disaster Response Management Bureau.
“We will already be distributing emergency cash transfers to our fellow citizens,” Lanada said, citing that Gatchalian’s itinerary includes General Santos City; the municipalities of Glan and Malapatan in Sarangani province; and Balut Island and Jose Abad Santos in Davao Occidental province.
The earthquake left 84,580 houses damaged or partially destroyed across the region, according to bureau data.
More than 139,000 families in the Davao and SOCCSKSARGEN regions are expected to receive the emergency cash transfers, which have a total budget allocation of more than P799.59 million. The payouts are scheduled to begin this week.