DAVAO del Norte Vice Governor De Carlo “Oyo” Uy revealed that not all individuals affected by the recent flooding in Tagum City will be able to receive financial assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) unless the provincial government would set aside its political differences.
Uy said in a press conference on Monday, March 4, that based on the report from the Tagum City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO), around 43,000 individuals were affected by the separate flooding incidents in the city caused by the shear line and the trough of the low-pressure area (LPA) early this year.
However, in the submitted data to DSWD, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) only declared around 20,000 residents were affected.
Uy said only those names included in the PDRRMO data will receive the Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) program worth P9,960.
"Di nato ni dapat ikahakog or unsa ba na di nato i-report tanan kay mao man ni ang kamatuoran. Mao man ni ang affected families. Ngano dili man ni ninyo i-report? (We should not let our selfishness reign over that we would not report all of the affected individuals because this is the truth. These are the affected families, why would we not report them?)" Uy said in a press conference posted on dxRD’s Facebook page.
The vice governor appealed to the PDRRMO to acknowledge the data from CDRRMO.
"I'm hoping na i-cater ninyo. Hangyo lang gyud ko sa [PDRRMO] nato kung kinsa man ang nagsugo –(I am appealing to PDRRMO or whoever instructed you) - let us set aside politics," he said.
Tagum City Mayor Rey Uy, meanwhile, in a press conference on Wednesday, March 6, belied DSWD’s claims that it has set a deadline for the listing of the names affected by the flooding, which he said was being reasoned by the provincial government.
The mayor, who is the vice governor's father, said he ordered the CDRRMO to validate the names and profiles of the beneficiaries to ensure that they would be qualified to receive the cash assistance.
"Ngano dili kahulat ang probinsya? May man sila didto dawat limpyo lang. Di man sila ang mag-identify (Why can’t the province wait? They are fortunate because they don’t do the works, they are not the ones who will identify)," Mayor Uy said.
He added that the vice governor is already coordinating with DSWD to address the matter.
However, he cannot assure if the remaining 23,000 residents would still be considered.
"Kung dili i-submit sa [provincial government], sorry na lang mo mga baynte mil kapin [nga residente]. Adto mo sa probinsya pangayo. Daghan man [sila'g] kwarta (If the provincial government won’t submit your names, sorry to all of you more than 20,000 residents, you go ask the province for assistance, they have a lot of money anyway)," the mayor said.
PDRRMO head Glenda Delideli, meanwhile, belied the vice governor's statement.
According to Delideli, the city government was late in forwarding the number of affected families resulting in the difference in the data submitted.
“Ang Tagum City, sila lang ang wala nakahatag sa ilang report prior to February 13 nga dugay na namo gipangayo... Ang ilang data that day is 20,431. So mao ni ang among gibutang kay gikan man ni sa ilaha (Tagum City was the only one who failed to submit their report prior to February 13 when we asked for the report a long time ago already… Their data was 20,431 affected individuals, so that was what we put in our report because it came from them)," she said.
She added that the city only gave them their final report six days after the deadline, where they reported 43,358 families affected.
Delideli explained that the data was used for the Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA), which was necessary to urgently provide initial assistance to the victims.
The official, however, clarified that the 20,000 residents in the submitted list aren't the only ones who will be receiving the cash aid as the province is still gathering new data for the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA).
Delideli also clarified that there was no "politics" involved in the matter.
“Vice Gov, with due respect, gusto lang nako ipahibalo alang sa amoang side nga wala ko namolitika tungod kay ang amoang panerbisyo, kinasing-kasing gayud ni alang sa mga tao ilabina sa mga naapektohan sa baha (I just want you to know our side that we are not politicking, since ours is pure service, sincerely for the people especially those affected by the flooding)," she said.
SunStar Davao has yet to get the side of DSWD on the matter. RGL
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