THE Department of Social Welfare and Development in Western Visayas (DSWD 6) on March 19, 2026, continued the distribution of emergency assistance to families affected by Typhoon Tino in Antique and a fire in Barangay Gustilo, La Paz District, Iloilo City.
The DSWD 6 said the assistance followed the directive of Secretary Rex Gatchalian and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to support affected families until they fully recover.
"The assistance is in line with the directive of DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian and the mandate of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. to continue providing support to affected families until they fully recover," the DSWD 6 said.
The agency said all distributions follow a transparent process guided by Memorandum Circular 11, which outlines the revised guidelines on the conduct of Emergency Cash Transfers (ECT).
A total of 230 beneficiaries in Antique received assistance through the ECT program, including 128 from Pandan, 70 from Libertad, and 32 from the Caluya Islands.
Under the ECT program, severely affected beneficiaries received 10,325 pesos each, while slightly affected residents received 5,369 pesos.
The DSWD 6 said its personnel facilitated the distribution to ensure assistance reached the rightful beneficiaries. The agency also conducted the BBM Serbisyo online registration, which uses the Philsys ID system to verify recipients.
The agency said the digital platform aims to prevent fraud and duplication while improving the efficiency of delivering social services.
In Iloilo City, the DSWD 6 Iloilo Quick Response Team (QRT) extended relief assistance to families displaced by the fire in Barangay Gustilo.
The agency distributed 36 Family Food Packs (FFP) along with 18 kitchen kits, 18 sleeping kits, and 18 hygiene kits.
The DSWD 6 said it continues to coordinate with the City Government to ensure sufficient assistance and that the basic needs of displaced families are met.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining accessible disaster assistance and said relief operations will remain available.
The National Government said the continuing distribution highlights its commitment to providing timely support to communities affected by disasters. (Leo Solinap/SunStar Philippines)