Noveleta mayor says DSWD requiring too many papers from flood victims

The mayor of Noveleta, Cavite on Wednesday took exception to the requirement of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for flood victims to produce too many documents before getting aid.

In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, Mayor Dino Chua said the DSWD asked for a certificate of indigency, barangay clearance, and identification cards from his constituents who suffered the onslaught of Typhoon Paeng.

“Ang problema, ang dami pong hinihinging dokumento at papeles. Mga ID, barangay clearance, kung ano-anong indigency. Nabaha nga po tayo,” he said.

(The problem is they asked for too many documents and papers such as IDs, barangay clearance, and an indigency certificate. We were flooded.)

“[A]ng daming nakapila na mga hihingi ng tulong eh halos hindi nakakakuha ‘yung iba dahil ang dami daw hinihinging papeles. Ang sabi ng mga tao, nasa evacuation center kami, paano kami mag pro-produce ng mga dokumento? Binaha nga kami, wala nga kaming nasalba,” he added.

(Many people in line were asking for help but some were unable to get aid because of the required papers. The people said they were at the evacuation center, how could they produce documents? We were flooded, and we couldn’t save anything.)

When President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited the town to distribute relief packs, Chua said only about 20 percent were able to receive the support.

“Ang pumila po noon, sa araw lang na ‘yun ha, nung dumating si Pangulong BBM dito ay kulang-kulang 1,000 tao. Pero ang nabigyan lang ho wala pa sa 200,” he said.

(There were around 1,000 people in line but less than 200 were given aid.)

He asked the DSWD to be more considerate in its procedures in releasing aid. .

“Nananawagan po ako sa DSWD. Tutal nag deklara naman si Presidente BBM, nabasa ko sa dyaryo kanina, na wag niyo na pahirapan ang tao… so sana mabago na ang sistema na ‘yan,” he said.

(I am calling on the DSWD. President Marcos has just declared [a state of calamity], I read it in the papers. Let's not make things difficult for our people, I hope they will modify their system.)

DSWD denies allegations

Meanwhile, the DSWD denied reports that their field officers required flood victims in Noveleta to submit certificates of indigency to be able to get cash aid under the department’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program.

"During disaster response, the department took a step further and now only requires the presentation of any identification card of a resident of affected barangays for the processing of grants under [the] AICS program so as to [immediately] extend such assistance in line with President Bongbong Marcos’ directive, with the distribution of grants being conducted in close collaboration with barangay offices," the department said in a statement. 

"This sole requirement is being implemented so as to comply with audit rules and to ensure that tax payers’ money will go to the proper beneficiary and not to abusive or scrupulous individuals taking advantage of the plight of our countrymen in distress," it added.

The DSWD said that some individuals claimed that they were residents of the affected barangays in Noveleta but were unable to present required IDs, which they said were damaged by the storm.

"Hence, our field officers asked for assistance from the barangay chairpersons to certify that these individuals were indeed residents of their respective barangays. But the said barangay chairpersons did not issue the said certification, saying the said individuals were unknown to them and could not be residents of their respective barangays," the department said.

"This prompted our field officers to temporarily suspend the distribution of the cash assistance pending verification of the identities of the said individuals," it added.

The DSWD said once the identities of the residents were identified, they would be immediately given assistance by the social workers.

Marcos has placed Calabarzon, Bicol, Western Visayas, and the Bangsamoro Region under a state of calamity which shall remain in effect for six months.

The latest tally from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council showed that the death toll due to Paeng has climbed to 121. 

At least 103 people were reported injured and 36 were reported missing. —Joahna Lei Casilao and Richa Noriega/LDF/VBL, GMA News