Fire victims from Sitio Sta. Maria, Barangay Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City receive financial assistance on Friday, December 22, 2023. I Futch Anthony Inso
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — Around 1,783 fire victims from Sitio Sta. Maria, Barangay Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City received financial assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Lapu-Lapu City Government.
The Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) payout to 465 homeowners and 1,318 renters was conducted on Friday, December 22, 2023, in Hoops Dome, Barangay Gun-ob.
Shalaine Marie Lucero, the regional director of DSWD-7, said that each homeowner would receive P10,530 from the national government, while partially burned houses, sharers, and renters would receive P5,265.
Lucero added that the agency had allocated more than P11.6 million for the financial assistance distribution on that day.
“Ang kanang atong ECT, usa kana ka unconditional cash transfer para immediately makahatag dayon ta ug abag sa mga pamilya nga nagkinahanglan sa ilang inadlaw-adlaw nga kinahanglanon, ingon man pagbalik sa ilang mga balay,” Lucero said.
Apart from this, Lucero said that the agency had earlier distributed food and non-food items worth P2.9 million to the fire victims.
DSWD also plans to distribute additional cash assistance to the fire victims through their Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program next year, in coordination with the city government.
The city government has also distributed cash assistance to the fire victims.
Homeowners received P15,000; P5,000 for sharers; and P3,000 for renters. Homeowners also received an additional P15,000 as rental subsidy.
Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan urged fire victims to spend their money wisely and prioritize the building of their new houses.
“Ako ra gyung hangyo, kabalo ko nga sobra-sobra na ang atong tabang nga nadawat, sobra ang bugas, sobra ang groceries, sobra ang kwarta. Akong hangyo diha ninyo nga ayaw tawn na ninyo isugal,” Chan said.
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