Ormoc City, Leyte – One year after Typhoon Yolanda ravaged this city, Department of Social Welfare and Development  (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman expressed her admiration for the continued rehabilitation here.

Sec. Soliman together with Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas, Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery Secretary Panfilo Lacson, and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin were here on  Saturday, November 8, to attend activities commemorating the first year anniversary of Typhoon Yolanda.

“I can see that all repairs on major buildings are done, more restaurants have opened, and commerce has increased,” Sec. Soliman remarked.

She commended City Mayor Edward C. Codilla for his leadership in bringing normalcy back to the locality.

The cabinet officials sat as panelists during a media forum where they gave updates on rehabilitation efforts and responded to questions.

Sec. Soliman was asked to explain about the Disaster Assistance and Family Access Card (DAFAC) and Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA).

She explained that the Disaster Assistance and Family Access Card (DAFAC) was implemented in cooperation with the City/Municipal Social Welfare and Development Offices to ensure the equal food distribution to ‘Yolanda’-affected provinces in Eastern Visayas. It aims to monitor the status of affected families and whether a family is underserved or overserved though the logs in the cards they hold.

For the Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA), Sec. Soliman explained that the certificate of occupancy is needed to ensure that the recipients of the assistance will not be evicted from their house.

She added that typhoon victims with totally damaged houses will receive P70,000 cash assistance each and those with partially damaged houses will receive P30,000 cash assistance each.

After the forum, the executives participated in the groundbreaking of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Community Evacuation Center.

Then, they proceeded to the Tzu Chi Great Love Village in Barangay Lilo-Ann which can accommodate 2,000 housing units.

As of November 3, some 37 units have already been completed.  The beneficiaries of this housing village will come from 12 barangays of the city.

Mayor Codilla entered into a usufruct agreement with Tzu Chi Foundation for the use of the 50-hectares land.

To lighten the day’s event, officials and staff of Tzu Chi Foundation led the presentation of the “One Family Song”, which talks about the value of unity, through sign language.

The national agency heads and other guests gladly participated. ###