The Department of Social Welfare and Development opens its help desk to the 151 workers of Sulpicio Lines Inc. who were laid off recently due to the grounding of SLI passenger vessels.
Presidential Management Staff chief Cerge Remonde recently announced President Gloria Arroyo’s willingness to help workers through DSWD during the president’s visit to Cebu last week.
DSWD is now trying to contact the workers for individual assessment and home visitation but only a few could be reached.
DSWD information officer Jaybee Carillo said the assessment is necessary to help the agency devise a proposal, which they will submit to Manila for appropriate government assistance and other interventions.
Carillo said the assessment shall help them determine the various needs of the workers. She said the assistance may be in the form of immediate needs like cash or food, it may also be through livelihood programs for the wives, educational assistance or job referrals.
The help desk is open for registration. It is located at the DSWD regional office at the corner of M.J. Cuenco and General Maxilom avenues in Cebu City.
The assessment time said Carillo is from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. DSWD targets to finish the assessment by the end of this week to speed up the process of providing assistance to affected workers.
Meanwhile the agency is now ready to release financial assistance from Arroyo to 32 survivors of the sunken M/V Princess of the Stars.
DSWD received approval last Thursday from the central office that they can start releasing P10,000 cash to survivors who have completed the necessary requirements for claiming.
DSWD called on the other survivors to come to the DSWD and present the necessary documents to claim their cash.
Supporting documents include birth certificate of claimant, Marriage contract of claimant if married, marriage contract of claimant’s parents if single and certification from the barangay captain and local Social Welfare and Development officer on residency and confirmation that the claimant is a survivor of the tragedy.
Claimants also need to submit NBI clearance, voter’s certification, two valid IDs and written confirmation of their identity plus a picture of claimant from the shipping lines, if crew, and from their employer if a passenger.
DSWD has released P6,130,000 in assistance to 613 claimant relatives of missing passengers from the ill-fated ship .
There are still 620 missing passengers recorded by DSWD while the dead bodies recovered are now 213. – Jessica Ann R. Pareja/BRP