UNDP's cash-for-work program to continue

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines - — The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will continue its cash-for-work program until next year to improve the lives of those people who were devastated by typhoon Yolanda.

UNDP Senior Response Coordinator Yuri Afanasiev said the purpose of the cash-for-work program is to give employment to people who are jobless due to Yolanda. People behind the program have coordinated with various experts including some officials of the national and local government in order to ensure its effectiveness, he said.

Afanasiev said UNDP has no plan yet of ending its programs in Eastern Visayas. "The cash-for-work program of the UNDP will continue as long as there are still major problems in those affected areas such as the supply of electricity, water, food and shelter," he said.

As of December 23 year 2013, Afanasiev said there were at least 7,000 beneficiaries under the program who have been tasked to help in the collecting and gathering of debris in their respective areas.

Also, some of the beneficiaries have been deployed to several affected areas in the region, such as in this city, other towns in Leyte and Guiuan town of Eastern Samar.

Afanasiev said that, by next year, the UNDP aimed to have 55,000 beneficiaries for the cash-for-work program but on a different work under the cash-for-timber and cash-for boat schemes.

The cash-for-timber program will provide jobs to affected coconut farmers on collecting and gathering of timber, while the cash-for-boat scheme will focus on repairing and making of boats for fishermen.

Under the cash-for-work program, the beneficiary will receive P260 per day with minimum working span of two weeks. "We have prioritized the cleaning of debris for in order to utilize the roads which will normalize the transportation," Afanasiev said.

"Once the debris are totally removed from the roads the rehabilitation of the schools, hospitals, markets and some other structures will be more easier," he said.  (FREEMAN)