DILG: Around 4 million Typhoon Odette victims so far get P4.15-B cash aid

DILG Secretary Eduardo Año. Screengrab from RTVM

MANILA, Philippines — Three months after Typhoon Odette ravaged the country, around four million individuals received cash assistance amounting to P4.15 billion, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año reported.

“Sa anim pong rehiyon na ipinag-utos niyong bigyan ng ayuda na nagkakahalaga ng P4.8 billion ay nakapagpamahagi na tayo ng P4.15 billion na umaabot po sa 85.52 percent,” he told President Rodrigo Duterte during the taped address to the nation aired on Tuesday.

(In six regions that you ordered to provide aid worth P4.8 billion, we have disbursed P4.15 billion which is 85.52 percent.)

“Ang total po ng (The total) beneficiaries na nakatanggap ay nasa (that got aid are) 4,010,092 individuals,” he added.

The six regions that were given financial assistance are Region 4B (Mimaropa – Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan), Region 6 (Western Visayas), Region 7 (Central Visayas), Region 8 (Eastern Visayas), Region 10 (Northern Mindanao), and Region 13 (Caraga).

The DILG has issued show-cause orders to some local government units (LGUs) over the slow aid distribution.

“At ang ginawa po natin sa mga LGUs na medyo mabagal ang pagbibigay ng ayuda ay pinadalhan natin ng show-cause orders. Ito po ay umaabot sa 48 LGUs,” Año said.

(What we did to the LGUs that are slow in giving aid is we sent show-cause orders. It was given to 48 LGUs.)

“Pagpapaliwanagin natin ang mga LGUs na ‘to bakit hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin natatapos ang pagbibigay ng ayuda sa ating mga kababayan,” he continued.

(We will let the LGUs explain why the payout to our fellow citizens is slow.)

In December last year, Duterte ordered the distribution of P1,000 to each survivor of Typhoon Odette, the strongest tropical cyclone that hit the country in 2021. However, the maximum amount per family would be P5,000.

JPV