19,000 families affected by oil spill; DSWD to continue giving food packs —Sec. Gatchalian

The number of families affected by the oil spill from from the sunken MT Princess Empress in Oriental Mindoro has reached 19,000, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian said on Saturday. 

"'Yung bagong tala ni [Oriental Mindoro] Governor [Humerlito 'Bonz'] Dolor, 'yung provincial level, nasa 19,000," Gatchalian said in an interview on Dobol B TV.

(The new tally of Governor Dolor is 19,000 [affected families] on the provincial level.)

Gatchalian said the DSWD started giving food packs to affected families.

"Nagsimula kami sa food packs. Ten thousand na apektadong pamilya, pero recently umakyat na 'yan to 18,000 dahil 'yung oil spill nga kumakalat eh. 'Yung dating towns, 'yung mga bayan na hindi apektado, ngayon naapektuhan na rin ... Lahat 'yan [19,000] patuloy na binibigyan natin ng food packs," he said.

(We started giving food packs. Ten thousand families were affected, but recently that number went up to 18,000 because the oil spill is spreading. The towns that were not affected before have been affected. All those [19,000] are being given food packs.

Gatchalian said the giving of food packs will continue and will be sustained until fishermen are able to go out to fish and resume their livelihood.

"Ang usapan namin ni Gov. Dolor, wave after wave of food packs with one wave around 19,000," he said of his talks with Dolor.

(We agreed with Gov. Dolor that [DSWD] will send wave after wave of food packs with one wave around 19,000.]

The affected fishermen will also be given work via a cash-for-work program for the cleanup of the oil spill.

They will be paid minimum wage for 15 days, with payout every five days, but the program may be extended even beyond 15 days, Gatchalian said.

Antique

Meanwhile, Gatchalian said they took a different approach in Caluya, Antique, implementing only an emergency cash transfer program rather than distributing food packs.

"Bakit naman cash doon? Kasi nag-usap kami ni Mayor Lim ng Caluya, Antique. Sabi niya maraming tindahan kaya lang 'yung mga tao, walang pambili. Close to 1,700 families ang binigyan ng tig-P8,000," he said.

(Why did we give cash there? We talked with Mayor Lim of Caluya, Antique. He said there are many stores but people don't have the means to buy. Close to 1,700 families were given P8,000 each.)

"Bawat pamilya, nakatanggap ng P8,000 para mayroon silang pambili ng pagkain," he added.

(Each family received P8,000 so they can buy food.)

According to the latest records of the local government, up to 7,000 families were affected by the oil spill in Caluya. On Monday, the DSWD is set to return to Caluya to deliver aid.

Other than the cash assistance, the affected residents will also be subject to the cash-for-work program.

On February 28, motor tanker Princess Empress was carrying industrial oil when it sank in the waters of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro.

The oil spill has affected not just Oriental Mindoro and Antique, but even the municipality of Taytay in Palawan. —with a report from Sherylin Untalan/KG, GMA Integrated News