Benhur clarifies legislators’ participation in Yolanda aid

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu fourth district Representative Benhur Salimbangon has denied the report that he and third district Representative Gwendolyn Garcia were the ones who turned over the Emergency Shelter Assistance fund to the Department of Social Welfare and Development Regional Field Office-7.

Salimbangon made the clarification after the report raised the eyebrows of their critics for getting involved in the distribution of the financial assistance, especially that none from Garcia’s district were among the  beneficiaries.

What happened last Friday was a meeting among the Cebu lawmakers with the regional directors of the national government agencies to discuss the 2016 projects and programs, thus the presence also of Garcia.

Salimbangon said that DSWD-7 Director Mercedita Jabagat reported during the meeting that around P2 billion has already been released for the nine out of 16 localities in northern Cebu that were badly damaged by typhoon Yolanda last November 8, 2013.

“Nasayop ang news item nga kita nag-turnover. Ang nahitabo Jabagat reported nga naa na ang kwarta, she submitted her report to us kay ato man ni’ng gisigehan og follow-up gud,” Salimbangon said.

After Congress approved the supplemental budget last December, Salimbangon got an assurance from DSWD Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman that the assistance will be released by January.

Salimbangon, on the other hand, said nothing is wrong when they, including Garcia, got involved, being the legislators who are pushing hard for the approval of the supplemental budget in Congress.

He agreed though with Soliman that national government funds are released from the Department of Budget and Management to the central office of DSWD then to the regional offices.

“Dili na mahimo na ang tseke ang maghatud ang congresswoman o congressman, ug kinsa nga legislator kay ang kwarta maggikan sa DBM ihatag sa among departamento dinhi sa central office unya ang central office nang DSWD ang magpadala didto sa mga regional offices, basin nasayop lang ang balita,” said Soliman in an interview over Bantay Radyo-Cebu yesterday.

Soliman confirmed the release of P2 billion for the typhoon Yolanda survivors who lost their homes in northern Cebu.

DSWD deployed social workers in the most affected towns after the typhoon and distributed Disaster Assistance Family Access Card to the families to validate status of the affected families and will serve as reference for provision of additional and appropriate interventions required per family.

Soliman also explained that government employees receiving more than P15,000 a month can no longer avail of the assistance which Salimbangon said he would ask Soliman to reconsider.

DSWD-7 clarified that funding source for Emergency Shelter Assistance for super typhoon Yolanda victims in northern Cebu came from its main office and not from the legislators.

“The funds come from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and that DSWD Field Office-7 will be the one to turn over the money to the local government units (LGUs),” Jabagat said.

She pointed out though that Salimbangon and Garcia were both instrumental in expediting the release of the funding.

During that occasion, I took the opportunity to inform the legislators that the money for ESA is now with DSWD and ready to be released to the LGUs during a meeting on January 30, 2015,” Jabagat said.

According to DSWD-7 Disaster Risk Reduction Unit chief  Emma Patalingjug, the total ESA to be distributed to nine local government units in northern Cebu amounted to P1,909,630,000.

This was downloaded from Department of Budget and Management to DSWD central office in December 29. (FREEMAN)