Madridejos Turns Over P66M to Yolanda Survivors

● Town mayor said they were the first affected LGU to receive P66,425,000 from DSWD’s Emergency Shelter Assistance.

At least P66 million worth of financial assistance was turned over on Monday by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to more than 7,000 households in Madridejos town, Bantayan Island.

Madridejos Mayor town Salvador dela Fuente said they were the first local government unit affected by Yolanda to receive the DSWD’s Emergency Shelter Assistance totaling to P66, 425,000.

“Kami siguro una naka-comply sa requirements. And, wa pud mi unliquidated expenses sa DSWD,” said dela Fuente.

Dela Fuente personally carried out the distribution of the cash assistance to the 7,355 households from the town’s 14 barangays. As of 4 pm yesterday, the distribution was still in progress, but the mayor assured that every household in the list would not go home empty-handed as the local government had to give out every cent of the funds.

Of the 7,355 households, 5,930 of these had damaged houses brought by super typhoon Yolanda. Each of them received P10,000 each, while the rest, with partially damaged homes, got P5,000.

The mayor said he had already instructed the barangay officials to monitor if the cash assistance would be actually used to repair the houses. Dela Fuente admitted that the amount is not enough even to repair a tiny nipa hut, but was glad when the DSWD told him there could be additional cash assistance on the way.

Madridejos was among those towns in the north which suffered the most from Yolanda’s wrath. Over 7,000 households accounts to 95 percent of the residences of the town.

Dela Fuente said the P10,000 and P5,000 cash assistance may not be enough to totally restore the houses of his constituents, but he is positive that in a month’s time, he will see progress in his town.