• RICHARD T. CABALLERO JR.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Negros Island Region (DSWD-NIR) piloted the third tranche of Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) distribution in Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, yesterday.
Arwin Razo, DSWD-NIR Director, stated that the pilot distribution of the ECT third tranche in Hinigaran, a town with most numbers of affected families, will serve as their basis to determine their capacity to conduct simultaneous distributions across various local government units.
DSWD aims to roll out the distribution of the P1.2 billion ECT to victims of Typhoon Tino in Negros Occidental and Canlon City, Negros Oriental, during the first quarter of the year.
The majority of the assistance will be allocated to the fourth and fifth districts of Negros Occidental, which were heavily affected by the typhoon.
“We are going to pilot the payout to see how we can do it simultaneously in the coming days,” Razo said, noting that the distribution in Hinigaran was conducted in four barangays simultaneously.
Based on data disclosed by Razo, 18,839 severely affected families across the region will receive more than P10,000 each, while 180,145 partially affected families will receive more than P5,000 each.
“This involves 198,984 severely and partially affected families. The total amount is more than P1.1 billion,” he added.
The director clarified that in La Castellana, those who have already received assistance during previous ECT tranches will no longer be included in the third tranche, highlighting that most of the affected families are in the town.
After the distribution in Hinigaran, the DSWD will evaluate the payout method to facilitate smoother transactions in other local government units.
DSWD AID FOR TOURISM WORKERS
More than 1,000 tourism workers in Negros Island Region affected by Typhoon Tino last year are set to receive additional financial assistance from DSWD amounting to P10,000.
Razo said that around 1,193 tourism workers are expected to receive their assistance before the end of the first quarter of 2026.
“Most of them are in Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental,” Razo stated.
The DSWD has allocated P12.3 million to fund the assistance to affected tourism workers, in addition to the ECT they may already receive.*
