COTABATO CITY – Bangsamoro Government’s efforts to bring relief to communities affected by tropical storm Paeng will be continuously intensified, according to Social Services Minister Atty. Raissa Jajurie.
In an interview on Nov. 4, Jajurie said the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) has been providing relief assistance for the victims since Oct. 29, less than 24 hours after the storm hit the region.
“Mabuti po at mayroon tayong block grant dahil mas madali po ang access natin sa mas malaking resources. Aabot po sa Php800-million plus ang resources ng MSSD para sa disaster response,” Jajurie said.
The block grant is the annual share of the Bangsamoro Government in the national internal revenue tax collections of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and collections of the Bureau of Customs, as provided in the Bangsamoro Organic Law.
“Bago pa man tumama ang bagyo ay may nakahanda na po tayong pre-positioned relief goods. Sa ngayon po umabot na ng halos Php200-million ang nagamit natin para sa bagyong Paeng,” Jajurie said.
“Sa unang araw po mismo ng bagyo ay nagsimula na ang ating operations dahil po marami talaga ang nasalanta,” she added.
Latest report shows that the total affected population of BARMM reached to 225,420 households.
MSSD provided the victims with food and non-food relief assistance including 25-kilo sacks of rice, family food packs, dignity and hygiene kits, medicines, sleeping kits, cooking kits, and water kits.
Aside from MSSD, other agencies of the Bangsamoro Government, such as the Office of the Chief Minister’s Project TABANG (Tulong Alay sa Bangsamorong Nangangailangan) and the BARMM-READi (Rapid Emergency Action on Disaster Incidence), also extended relief aid.
To ensure that the evacuees have access to clean water, MSSD also conducted water rationing at several evacuation sites, as well as set up community kitchens to provide the evacuees with hot meals.
Jajurie said that among the Bangsamoro Government’s interventions for the victims is the provision of psychosocial support. “Ang ating social workers ay nagfa-facilitate po ng mga session kung saan tinitingnan natin yung mental health at psychological effects ng sakunang ito sa ating mga evacuees,” she said.
Furthermore, Jajurie mentioned that MSSD’s Bangsamoro CARES Program, or the Bangsamoro Critical Assistance for Indigents in Response to Emergency Situations, covered the hospitalization expenses, cost of medicines, and other medical treatments of the injured survivors.
Meanwhile, as part of its early recovery plans, Jajurie said MSSD will provide financial assistance to those whose houses were damaged by the storm, in the amount ranging from Php10,000 to Php30,000.
“Lalo na doon sa mga totally nasira ang kabahayan, kailangan po silang bigyan ng shelter assistance. So bibigyan po natin sila ng cash assistance batay sa shelter assessment kung saan pwede nilang gamitin ito sa pagpapatayo ng kanilang bahay,” Jajurie said.
For other survivors of Paeng, MSSD shall provide a multi-purpose cash assistance worth Php5,800.00 per family. This amount is based on the minimum expenditure basket.
All of these are part of MSSD’s regular budget for disaster response and management.
Expressing her sympathy to the victims, Jajurie said: “Nakikiramay kami doon sa mga nawalan ng miyembro ng pamilya dahil sa bagyo, sa mga nagkasakit, at sa mga nasugatan. Andito pa rin po ang MSSD at ang Bangsamoro Government para po mag-antabay sa inyo dahil ito ang kalinga na ibinibigay ng inyong gobyerno.” (Johanie Mae Kusain/BIO)
