DSWD helps Hda. Malaga victims
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VI is augmenting a total of P343,900 to the Local Government Unit of La Castellana in Negros Occidental intended for the victims of the Hacienda Velez-Malaga land dispute.
It was no less that DSWD Secretary Esperanza I. Cabral who directed the Regional Office to release aid to the victims. "Our role is to help them. The most that we could do is to provide material aid like food," she said.
A food-for-work program will be implemented in the area. A total of 122 families will clean farm lots for six consecutive days and they will receive food in return amounting to a total of P256,200.
Initially, OIC-Regional Director Teresita S. Rosales has directed for the release of relief good to these families worth P42,700. These were distributed on May 29, 2007.
Also, two bereaved families will receive P10,000 each for burial assistance and five will receive P5,000 each for medical assistance. According to Julian Ledesma, focal person for Crisis Intervention Unit (CIU) of DSWD6, the provision of food is very timely since it is still off-season for farmers and they have no alternative source of livelihood. For its part, the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office has conducted counseling and stress debriefing to affected families.
(dswd6/mcastillo)