 |
| From left to right: Mr. Adonis Casinillo, WV Marawi Response Manager; Ms. Liza Branal, WV Program Manager, Mr. Ramiel Guinandam, DSWD Region 10 Donations officer; Mr. Rommel Fuerte, WV National Director; Mr. Jerry Cheng-An Chuang, Director of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines, Ms. Xenia Legazpi, WV Operations Director; Mr. Mel Aguilar, WV Program Officer; and Mr. Sonny Sobremonte, WV Finance staff |
World Vision, in partnership with the Department of
Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the government of Taiwan, held a rice
turnover in Region 10, donating 66,000 sacks of rice to at least 620 families
affected by the Marawi crisis.
“This is just the first batch. In the coming days,
more families will also receive the 30-kilogram sack of rice,” shared World
Vision’s Executive Director Rommel Fuerte, reiterating the organization’s support
to the on-going response, especially to the well-being of the affected
children.
The 66,000 donated sacks of rice will support the Food
Assistance Project of the Philippine
government, which aims to alleviate food shortage and
enhance access for food of affected families.
World Food Programmes’ December 2018 report shows that
food gap remains at 73.30%. In response, the social welfare department under the
Bangon Marawi Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Program (BMCRRP)
distributed cash grant of P73,000 (US$ 1,400) comprising of P20,000 ($ 385) for
Livelihood Settlement Grants (LSG) and P53,000 ($ 1,019) for the Transitory
Family Support Package (TFSP) to 15,615 families from the 24 Most Affected
Areas (MAAs) but both DSWD and Task Force Bangon Marawi recognized that there
is still a need for food support.
 |
| Saadia and her son Anuwar, are one of the many families supported by World Vision and DSWD for the Marawi rice turnover activity. |
Still coping
from the aftermath of the armed conflict
Two of the first to receive the rice were 43-year old
Imran and 27-year old Saadia. Imran and his family have been living in
temporary shelter for several months now. He used to be a furniture dealer, earning
somewhere between Php10,000 to Php13,000. Today, he relies on his two older children
who had to go to Manila to look for money.
Saadi, meanwhile, had to leave her two children under
the care of relatives. She and her husband only have their 2-year old son,
Anuwar, with them. With unstable source of income, both families struggle to
make ends meet. A gantang (approximately 3 kilos) of rice alone costs around
Php100 to Php120.
"That looks ok but if you don't have a hundred pesos,
that's expensive. Most families here eat twice or once a day, sometimes not at
all. That's why when we received news that we will be given a sack of rice, we
were happy. This is a big help for us," Imran said. Saadia also echoed
Imran’s gratitude, noting that she will have food for her son Anuwar in the
coming days.
Jerry Cheng-An Chuang, Director of Taipei Economic and
Cultural Office in the Philippines assured their commitment to supporting the
people of Marawi during the rice turnover ceremony.
"To the people of Marawi, you are not forgotten.
We will always be by your side to render a helping hand,” he said.
"We would like to thank the Government and people
of Taiwan for this very kind gesture of
friendship and solidarity with the Filipino people. In
trying times like these, it is comforting to know that we are not alone in
facing these tribulations," Mari-Flor Dollaga-Libang, DSWD Region X Director
said.
Aside from the government agencies of Philippines and
Taiwan, World Vision is also supported by Wan Hai Lines for the said project.
The 5-month long Marawi armed conflict which started
on May 23, 2017 has displaced at least 350,000 people, according to the
Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center of the Department
of Social Welfare and Development (DROMIC-DSWD). Days after the clash, World Vision
launched its emergency response and has so far reached 48,000 individuals,
including 25,000 children through its multi-sectoral interventions.
About World Vision
World Vision is a global Christian relief, development
and advocacy organization dedicated to
working with children, families and communities to
overcome poverty and injustice. World
Vision serves all people, regardless of religion,
race, ethnicity, or gender.
No comments:
Post a Comment