DSWD: No ID required to avail aid

By Connie Calipay

LEGAZPI CITY --- The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Bicol (DSWD-5) clarified on Monday that families affected by Mayon Volcano’s unrest do not need to present identification cards to receive relief assistance at evacuation centers in Albay.

In a social media advisory, DSWD Bicol Director Norman Laurio said only the Family Access Card in Emergencies and Disasters (FACED) form is required for families to receive relief items, such as family food packs, hygiene kits and kitchen kits.

The FACED form is used to profile affected families, generate sex- and age-disaggregated data, track assistance provided, and ensure accurate Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center reporting.

It also helps prevent duplication of aid distribution.

Laurio said government-issued IDs are required only for financial assistance programs, including emergency cash transfer, Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations and Cash-for-Work, as part of standard verification procedures to ensure the correct identification of beneficiaries.

“In case you are asked for your national ID or any valid ID by your local government unit or barangay, it may be for verification or to match your FACED record. However, we clarify that DSWD does not require submission of IDs for relief goods,” the advisory said.

Meanwhile, Disaster Response Management Division chief Claudio Villareal reported that nearly PHP8 million in government assistance has been extended to affected families, including 5,538 family food packs, 1,003 ready-to-eat food packs, 1,127 hygiene kits, and 1,127 sleeping kits. (PNA)