DSWD to give food, cash to quake victims

The Department of Social Welfare Development (DSWD) Bicol regional office is set to to release food packs and cash assistance to residents of earthquake affected towns in the island province of Masbate the local government units (LGUs).

Marygizelle Mesa, DSWD Bicol spokesperson, in an interview, said some 2,000 family food packs will be transported to Masbate on Aug. 19.

“We are also preparing to send 10 tents and 10 rolls of laminated sacks for Cataingan. Provision of assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), which is P10,000 for casualty as burial assistance and up to P10,000 for medical assistance that can be used for hospital bills or purchase of medicines, for those who were injured during the quake,” she said.

DSWD Bicol through its municipal action team also assisted LGUs in Masbate during the rapid assessment to gather accurate information on the extent of damage.

Mesa also said that a cash assistance of P3,000 will be given to families validated with partially damaged houses, and P5,000 for those with houses that were totally damaged.

"Affected families must be listed in the barangay for validation if they are really qualified to avail the assistance," she said.

A 6.5- magnitude earthquake jolted the province of Masbate and other parts of Bicol and the Visayas on Tuesday, Aug. 18 morning.