The Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) conducts an assessment activity on Sept. 15, 2023 to determine the needs of the fire victims in Cotabato City. (Photo Courtesy of MSSD)
COTABATO CITY—A total of 42 fire-affected families will receive cash assistance from the BARMM’s Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD).
On Friday, Sept. 15, the Ministry assessed the victims of the Sept. 5 fire incident that damaged numerous households in Brgy. Rosary Heights in this city, and to determine their qualification for Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) under MSSD’s Emergency Assistance Program.
“This initiative is part of the Ministry’s Emergency Assistance Program, aimed at ensuring the welfare of those affected by disasters and crises,” the Ministry said on its Facebook page on Sept. 18.
According to the qualifications for ESA, the following will be the amount to be received, together with their corresponding descriptors: P30,000 for severely impacted households, P20,000 for households with major damage, and P15,000 for households with minor damages. Families that lease temporary shelters are also entitled to receive P5,800 each.
BARMM’s MSSD partnered with Cotabato City’s Social Welfare Department, Rosary Heights 7’s barangay local government unit (BLGU), and Cotabato State University’s social work interns to successfully conduct said intervention.
On Sept. 9, the MSSD, in collaboration with the Office of Member of Parliament Dr. Hashemi Dilangalen, distributed the first batch of relief assistance to the fire victims, primarily composed of goods.
These initiatives conform with Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim’s Enhanced 12-Point Priority Agenda in boosting the responsiveness and timeliness of social protection services to mitigate vulnerability to economic, social, and environmental shocks and disasters. (Johamin Inok/BIO with reports from MSSD)
