The Mayor of Bantayan town, one of the municipalities in Northern Cebu that was heavily affected by super typhoon Yolanda, visited five of his barangays yesterday to explain the reasons why some beneficiaries in the original list will be disqualified from receiving the Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Bantayan Mayor Ian Christopher Escario explained to the barangays he visited with his councilors and the Mayor’s Office Executive Secretary Marlon Pacaña. The mayor intends to give the same explanation to the rest of the 20 barangays in Bantayan, one of the three municipalities in Bantayan Island.
According to the Mayor’s explanation, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) released a new set of guidelines for the release of ESA, which disqualifies families living on danger zones and those with monthly income of at least P15,000.
Mayor Escario did not claim the P375-million ESA already available t the DSWD 7, due to the new guidelines released by the DSWD. Based upon previous reports posted by various news media organization in Cebu Province, the government of Bantayan need at least P375-million for the ESA, but now that the said amount is available, a new guidelines by the DSWD put the Bantayan Mayor’s office at risk of “plunder.”
The P375-million ESA now available at the DSWD Regional Office was the outcome of the national government’s estimates based on the original list submitted to the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery. The Mayor of Bantayan wants to protect the interest of the 17,650 households affected by Yolanda, with more than half of them living within the 40-meter danger zone.
The current administration of the Municipality of Bantayan became the hottest topic not only online but in various gatherings by Bantayanons after reports of ESA distribution in the neighboring town of Madridejos who already distributed the ESA by not following the DSWD guidelines.
Mayor Escario and his councilors visited Barangays Atop-atop, Tamiao, Kangkibe, Sillon and Baigad to tell residents and typhoon victims who waited for the release of ESA funds of the new guidelines.
