TACLOBAN CITY- Victims of Supertyphoon Yolanda whose houses were either damaged or totally destroyed could avail of P30,000 emergency shelter kit assistance from the government through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). This was revealed by Nestor Ramos, DSWD regional director for Eastern Visayas, who said that this emergency shelter kit assistance is another form of aid provided by the government through their office to victims of Yolanda whose houses were destroyed or damaged. “All they have to do is to present a certificate of eligibility from their municipal or city municipal social welfare officers for them to avail the P30, 000 emergency shelter kit assistance,” Ramos said.

In Eastern Visayas, there were 187,366 houses that were partially damaged while 240,367 houses completely destroyed during the onslaught of Yolanda eight months ago.

In Tacloban City, considered the ground zero of the world’s strongest typhoon to make landfall, there were 46,553 houses that sustained damages while 12,270 were totally destroyed.

Ramos said that since this latest assistance being provided by the government to Yolanda victims will be given to them eight months after the storm took place, those who would avail this assistance should present documents that they have already repaired their houses like receipts of construction materials. Ramos, however, said those who have yet repaired their houses could avail construction materials worth P30, 000.

The DSWD official thus urged the local government units through their respective social welfare offices to submit their list to their office for purposes of budgeting.
“There is no deadline on the submission of the list but as much as possible, we are asking the local government units to submit the list as soon as possible for budgeting purposes,” Ramos said.

Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla said that if given the option, he rather give the victims construction materials rather than give them cash. “There is no guarantee that the money that they would receive would be use by them to really repair their houses or at least we can have a combination of both cash and materials. We have yet to come up with a scheme on this matter,” Petilla said. In Leyte, there were 200,621 houses that were totally destroyed and 154,191 houses that sustained damages. But for typhoon victim Girlie de la Cruz, 22 and a resident of Barangay 88 in San Jose District, said she rather receive cash that construction materials.
“At least if the government will give us cash, it can go a long way and improve our temporary house,” she said. Aside from losing their house, she also lost 15 members of her family that included her sister, grandmothers, nephews and nieces during the onslaught of Yolanda.(JOEY A. GABIETA)