DSWD: No timeline yet for rebuilding of Odette-hit houses

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Wednesday said there is no timeline yet for the rebuilding of houses in areas hit by Typhoon Odette since the transport of food and water supplies remain urgent.

"The Cash for Work program is a part of our emergency shelter assistance for rehabilitation, and we will discuss this. But the priority now is distributing food and clean drinking water given that assessment of the damages is still ongoing," DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview when asked when the rebuilding of houses could start.

"We will discuss the Cash For Work but in the meantime, we will ensure that those in evacuation centers and camp site facilities will be given the assistance they need," she added.

The Cash for Work program is a short-term intervention to provide temporary employment to distressed or displaced individuals.

Dumlao said DSWD has distributed P36 million worth of food assistance so far.

"This figure can still increase given that communications are still down in a lot of areas and our field officers are yet to receive a full report," Dumlao said.

"Our NFA (National Food Authority) stockpile is still enough, and these are the ones we are using for the food packs distributed in Eastern and Western Visayas," she added.

Dumlao also responded to comments made by Bohol governor Art Yap that the DSWD is not hearing their plea for financial assistance so the local government units can purchase urgent needs such as food and water.

"We understand the sentiments but we also have to understand that there are also no supermarkets where they can buy goods since these were also destroyed by the typhoon," she said.

"Rest assured that relief operations, especially provision of food and water, is continuous."  —KBK, GMA News