DSWD to release over P500-M housing aid for ‘Nina’ victims

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is set to release more than half a billion’s worth of shelter assistance for those who have lost houses or sustained damages to their homes during the onslaught of Christmastime Typhoon “Nina.”

In a statement, Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo said she has already endorsed the DSWD’s rehabilitation plan for P513,722,930 worth of emergency shelter assistance (ESA) to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) for funding.

Under the ESA, P10,000 is given to households with partially damaged houses, while those with totally destroyed houses will receive P30,000, to be validated by the DSWD.

The typhoon affected 547,237 families or 2,431,574 individuals in Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, and eastern Visayas. Some 535 families or 2,663 persons are still staying in 30 evacuation centers to date, the DSWD said.

The DSWD needs P4.35 billion to fund the ESA for some 248,242 households affected by “Nina.”