The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will begin distributing emergency cash assistance to families affected by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck parts of Mindanao earlier this month, as authorities step up recovery efforts for heavily damaged communities.
DSWD Disaster Response Management Bureau Director Maria Isabel Lanada said the Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) rollout will start Tuesday in selected areas in Sarangani, General Santos City, and Davao Occidental, including Glan and Malapatan, as well as Balut Island and Jose Abad Santos.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian is expected to lead the distribution, which forms part of the government’s early recovery response aimed at helping families repair damaged homes and cover basic needs in addition to initial relief support.
As of Monday, DSWD data showed that 84,580 houses were either totally or partially damaged across affected areas, with 15,039 classified as totally destroyed and 69,541 partially damaged.
The agency has already released over P378.3 million in food and non-food relief assistance to affected residents.
In total, 380,379 families or about 1.6 million individuals across Regions IX, XI, XII, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) were impacted by the quake.
Of this number, 5,594 families remain in evacuation centers, while 16,673 families are temporarily staying with relatives or friends as recovery operations continue.