BUTUAN CITY: Sixty-seven displaced tourism workers in Agusan del Sur province received emergency cash transfer (ECT) aid from the Department of Social Welfare and Development in the Caraga Region (DSWD-13) on Monday.
Each beneficiary received PHP5,044 in cash.
“Through the ECT program, the tourism workers whose lives were impacted by the flooding (in Agusan del Sur) earlier this year will provide a vital lifeline and support as they rebuild their lives,” DSWD-13 said in a statement.
In an interview on Monday, “Alice” recounted the struggles her family experienced after the natural disaster that hit the tourism establishment where she worked.
“Life was so hard then for us and I am thankful to the DSWD, the DOT-13 (Department of Tourism), and the provincial government for this assistance,” Alice said.
Agusan del Sur declared a state of calamity on Feb. 1 after 12 towns and 110 villages in Agusan del Sur were affected by floods and landslides two days earlier.
Some 49,000 families were directly affected, i
ncluding about 32,000 who fled to evacuation centers.
Source: Philippines News Agency