Christmas gifts up for Yolanda victims

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines – Thousands of families or survivors of super typhoon Yolanda will receive on November 25 an early Christmas gift each from the national government, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development, as part of its emergency shelter assistance program.

Councilor Jerry Uy announced to the local media that Secretary Panfilo Lacson, of the Office of the  Presidential Assistant for Recovery and Rehabilitation, and DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman will lead the distribution of P10,000 each to families with partially damaged houses and P30,000 each for those with totally damaged houses.

Uy said he and the Council members met with Lacson earlier to follow up for the immediate release of the assistance, the delay of which has been questioned by the Romualdez administration.

Accordingly, the DSWD is now finalizing the the guidelines for proper distribution of the vouchers to barangay beneficiaries, the number of which has yet to be determined, said Uy.

The city government earlier said that at least 14,500 families have urgent need for shelter assistance, more than 12,000 of which have totally damaged houses and about 2,000 have partially damaged houses.