CITY OF CALAPAN — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Thursday started the cash assistance distribution for the full recovery of formal and informal fisherfolk heavily affected by the oil spill from the sunken MT Princess Empress.
In a statement, the DSWD, through its Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque Romblon, Palawan) field office, said the cash aid is part of its response and early recovery intervention under its Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) program in Roxas, Oriental Mindoro where some 233 fisherfolk with motorized boats received the cash aid.
Under the ECT program, some 14,291 oil spill-affected individuals from both informal and formal fishing sectors in Oriental Mindoro will benefit from the new set of cash payouts.
The payout will roll out this month, following the directive of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to continue assisting the affected population.
More than P127.7 million in funds will be distributed by the DSWD to the affected fisherfolk from the municipalities of Baco, Bansud, Bongabong, Bulalacao, Gloria, Mansalay, Naujan, Pinamalayan, Roxas, San Teodoro, Socorro, Victoria, and the City of Calapan in Oriental Mindoro Province.
DSWD Spokesperson Asst. Secretary Romel Lopez said financial aid was provided to those affected by the oil spill to help them get back to normal after the incident.
“While the province is slowly returning to normalcy, the Department continues to provide various interventions, including the provision of family food packs and cash assistance, to the oil spill-affected fisherfolk as part of its early recovery and rehabilitation phase,” said Lopez.
According to the latest results of the water and fish laboratory tests conducted by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, water areas in the municipalities of Bongabong, Roxas, Mansalay, Bulalacao, Puerto Galera, Baco, and San Teodoro are now within acceptable standards for fishing activities.
READ: DSWD rolls out P12k cash aid for over 200 Mindoro fishers hit by oil spill