IMUS CITY, Cavite (PIA) — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will lead the distribution of cash aid on Wednesday, August 28, for fisherfolk in nine Cavite coastal towns affected by the oil spill from the sunken MV Terranova.
In a press briefing held Tuesday, Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Joey Villarama said that around 32,392 fisherfolk from the affected coastal towns will receive ₱5,000 in cash aid under the Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk program.
Villarama added that the beneficiaries will also receive an additional ₱5,000 in cash assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development or the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair.
Meanwhile, the cash assistance for fisherfolk from other Cavite coastal towns, such as Naic, Kawit, Noveleta, Rosario, Tanza, Maragondon, and Ternate, will be turned over to local chief executives.
These local government units have 30 days to distribute the cash aid to beneficiaries identified by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. To ensure transparency in the distribution of aid, LGUs have the option to utilize transparency mechanisms, such as publicizing the distribution through Facebook Live, according to Villarama.
He stressed that the assistance is part of the government’s whole-of-nation approach to helping fisherfolk affected by the oil spill.
“The President has prioritized the continued distribution of assistance under the socio-civic funds of the government. This is a whole-of-government approach led by the Office of the President, with support from the DSWD, DOLE, TESDA, and other government agencies,” Villarama said.
Villarama clarified that while the financial assistance is intended to support the livelihoods of affected fisherfolk, beneficiaries also have the freedom to use the cash for their basic needs.
Various government agencies are also expected to join the President in providing assistance and services to the beneficiaries. These include PhilHealth’s LAB for ALL Caravan, which will offer free laboratory services to beneficiaries.
The Department of Health will provide free medical services and vaccinations, while the Department of Labor and Employment will offer alternative livelihood opportunities to fisherfolk under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay Para sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program.
On July 25, the MV Terranova carrying 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil, capsized and eventually sank off Bataan during inclement weather caused by Super Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon. The oil spill, which reached Cavite’s shores prompted the Cavite provincial government to declare a state of calamity in its nine coastal towns. (FSC/PIA-Cavite)
