To provide immediate relief to families trying to make ends meet after the heavy flooding in Agusan del Sur, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office Caraga conducted the Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) payout in the towns of Talacogon, Esperanza, Loreto, Rosario, San Francisco, and Sta. Josefa on April 2-4, 2024.

A total of 18,552 eligible families from the said municipalities received Php5,004, as unconditional assistance for them to purchase essential items such as food, water, shelter, and other necessities, in efforts of rebuilding their lives.

 

The said recipients are families whose houses were partially and totally damaged due to severe flooding caused by a low-pressure trough.

“Nagpasalamat ko og dako ani nga tabang (ECT) labina naa koy tulo ka mga anak nga nag-eskwela unya wa nakoy bana. Atong baha, gi-rescue mi og pumpboat ug sukad sukad mao to among una nga pagbakwit tungod sa baha [I’m deeply thankful for this assistance, considering that I have three children to send to school and I no longer have my husband with me. When the floods hit, we were rescued by a pump boat, which was our first experience evacuating due to such circumstances],” Arlene M. Campos, 49, from Brgy. Pasta, San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, expressed her gratitude for the assistance she received and recounted her experience during the flood.

 

Meanwhile, in the municipality of Talacogon, expressions of gratitude echoed in the venue. Among the beneficiaries was Nanay Gloria Osigan, 83, a resident of Barangay La Flora, Talacogon, ADS. Upon receiving the cash assistance, she couldn’t help but utter a sincere “thank you” to the paymaster.

 

ECT is an unconditional cash assistance program of DSWD that aims to ensure that disaster-affected families have the means to meet their basic needs.

Further, a special payout schedule will be made for the disbursement of unclaimed ECT cash assistance to ensure that beneficiaries who missed the scheduled payout can claim the assistance they are entitled to.

 

The Department is dedicated to continue aiding the disaster-affected communities and providing them with necessary support as they continue to recover from the devastating effects of flooding.