DHSUD explains delay of aid to typhoon survivors

By Ernesto Delgado

LEGAZPI CITY --- The government agency responsible for human settlements is ensuring that the recipients of emergency shelter assistance are the intended beneficiaries affected by the destructive typhoons “Kristine” and “Pepito.”

Cristina Abaño, the chief of public housing and settlement division at the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development in Bicol, cited this verification process as the cause of the slow pace of distributing financial assistance to families who lost their homes, either partially or completely, when the two typhoons caused extensive damage in Bicol in November.

“We verify the lists of recommended beneficiaries provided by local government units (LGU), as some individuals seek assistance despite not having sustained damage,” Abaño said on Ugnayan sa Bicol radio program.

Reports from LGUs indicated that the two typhoons caused damage to 84,307 houses in the region, with 11,736 of those completely destroyed, according to Abaño.

“It is very difficult for us to assess each situation individually,” she lamented, emphasizing the limited personnel available to carry out these assessments.

Albay, one of the hardest-hit areas, reported that 12,462 homeowners had their houses destroyed by floods and strong winds.

However, only 1,100 of these homeowners had received assistance from the DHSUD, said Abaño.

She noted that the stringent verification process could not be abandoned, as the agency needed to be “very frugal” given its limited funds.

The DHSUD assistance program provides P30,000 in cash for each house that has been completely destroyed, and P10,000 in cash for each house that can still be repaired.

In certain cases, such as in Catanduanes, assistance is provided in the form of construction materials, which include galvanized iron sheets, coconut lumber, plywood, and nails.

Abaño said the construction materials supplied to the island province can be used to build 950 houses in the towns of Bagamanoc, Viga, Pandan, Caramoan, Panganiban, and Gigmoto.

Both cash and material assistance are distributed through the LGUs, she stated.

LGUs submitted eligibility sheets to DHSUD with homeowner names and attached photos of each house.

Abaño recounted that when DHSUD validators conducted inspections of these houses, they discovered that some applicants for shelter assistance were not the actual owners of their homes. In other cases, there were even two applicants seeking assistance for the same house.

“The front of the damaged house is reportedly owned by one family, while the back of the house is owned by someone else,” she explained. “Naturally, we can only provide aid to one homeowner.”

Abaño also mentioned that there were instances of dishonest claims from several applicants in a specific town. The DHSUD validators found through reports from the town’s local disaster risk reduction and management office that the recent typhoon caused no damage to coconut trees, infrastructure, or homes.

Despite this, many homeowners in that town attempted to secure compensation for their alleged “completely damaged houses.”

“I suppose it’s human nature to take advantage of government welfare programs. That’s why we’re making every effort to visit each house individually,” she concluded. (PIA5/Masbate)