TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines – Philippine government’s “Cash-for-work” program under the supervision of the Dept. of Social Welfare and Development have benefited thousands of survivors of super typhoon Yolanda in this city.
According to the reports of DSWD, around 200 local residents of Tacloban have been hired to help in the clean-up efforts and distribution of relief goods.
Last Saturday, Department of Social Welfare and Development Assistant Secretary Wilma Cabrera said “We have more or less 200 volunteer workers participating in the cash-for-work program in Leyte and Samar.”
Cash-for-work system has helped this city not only in improving its economy but also in lifting the morale of the people battered by Yolanda, the strongest storm to ever hit land.
Some international non-government organizations also have launched cash-for-work programs for residents who want to earn money while rebuilding their lives.
Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines is paying residents P500 per day to help in the clearing operations.
The Buddhist relief foundation has so far helped at least 21,000 survivors to get back on their feet and to start cleaning up their communities. They are targeting to augment their work force to up to 30,000.
United Nations Development Programme, meanwhile, has at least 250 workers in the cities of Tacloban and Palo, Leyte.
“We are now expanding here and the other remote areas to scale up to 200,000 people in total throughout the whole process,” said Lesley Wright, spokesperson of UNDP in Tacloban.
French aid organization ACTED is also paying P300 per volunteer worker who will distribute relief goods in far-flung areas.
ACTED also hires people to conduct damage assessment in every municipality.
One worker of ACTED Steve Renomeron, a typhoon victim himself, said the cash-for-work program has been a lot of help for his family after losing everything in the calamity.
He has been working as volunteer for two weeks distributing hygiene and water kits to two worst-hit towns in Samar – Marabut and Basey.
