Senator Francis Tolentino
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu – The Liwanag, Internet, Water, Assistance, and Welfare (LITAW) program of Senator Francis Tolentino is set to start implementation in January 2025.
LITAW is a program designed as a holistic solution for the countless Filipinos who face immense hardship due to natural disasters such as super typhoons, fires, and earthquakes. It will ensure that the most critical needs, such as electricity, internet access, clean water, and direct welfare assistance, are swiftly addressed, to allow the affected families to regain a sense of normalcy during the recovery period.
“Yung mga affected ng calamities para dili sila maputolan ng kuryente at tubig, habang nagre-repair sila ng bahay nila,” Tolentino said.
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Tolentino presented the program to barangay officials in Cebu province during the year-end assembly in the Liga ng mga Barangay here held on Tuesday, November 26, in a hotel and resort in Lapu-Lapu City.
He said that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will lead the implementation of the program while Congress will provide a budget for it.
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Tolentino said he envisions the LITAW program to become a framework for resilience, one that provides not only financial assistance but also the necessary infrastructure to help communities rebuild after calamities.
By covering the essential services that are often disrupted, such as power and water, LITAW seeks to relieve the burden on already struggling households, to ensure that they are not pushed further into poverty due to disaster-related expenses.
He said that the program reflects his long-term vision of creating a sustainable, proactive approach to disaster relief, one that will leave a lasting impact on the lives of those most affected by calamities.