Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) here has provided Early Recovery and Rehabilitation Assistance to around 8,921 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the region through its Cash/ Food for Work Program.
According to Crisis Intervention and Disaster Management Focal Person Arnold C. Lartec, this short-term intervention aims to provide family food packs or temporary employment to displaced individuals in exchange of their participation in the preparedness, mitigation, relief, rehabilitation or risk reduction projects and activities in their communities or in evacuation centers.
“Aside from providing their needs, we would also want to raise the awareness and ownership of our communities on disaster preparedness, mitigation, recovery, and rehabilitation activities. It is only when they are part of our measures will they realize their important role in managing the effects of disasters. And through Cash/ Food for Work, we hope that they will learn that”, Lartec added.
Under the Cash/Food for Work Program, IDPs work on projects related to disaster mitigation, recovery, and rehabilitation such as repair of damaged houses, improvement of road networks (canalization and excavation), de-silting of drainage canals, clearing and maintenance of flood control, clearing of roads and pathways, rehabilitation of community facilities and other activities that will benefit the whole community.
The said program also facilitates the construction of core shelter units under the Core Shelter Assistance Program (CSAP) which is being implemented by the Department in partnership with the Local Government Units with indigent families who have been victims of past natural calamities or those that have been identified by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau to reside in hazardous areas.
For 2014, around 720 core shelter units have been completed with the assistance of the Cash/ Food for Work Program.
Meanwhile, DSWD-CAR continues in the preparation of family food packs and prepositioning of supplies for families and individuals in the provinces of the region. Around 27,641 family packs are ready for distribution and a total of Php 2,057,942.45 stand-by fund is available in the Field Office. # DSWD-CAR, Social Marketing Unit, Nerizza Faye G. Villanueva with Jemimah Hope R. Ollet (UC Intern)
