The 2023 World Risk Index (WRI) places the Philippines as the country with the highest risk burden when it comes to natural hazards and disaster events.
Aside from seismic and hydrologic phenomena such as earthquakes and tropical cyclones, the country also confronts other catastrophic emergencies that pose a significant threat on the lives and properties of people such as fire incidents in particular.
In the first quarter of 2024 alone, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) has recorded a 25 percent increase in the number of fire incidents occurring in residential areas with a total of 3,044 incidents logged from January to March. This figure is higher than the 2,424 incidents that were recorded during the same period in 2023.
The devastating impact of fire can result not only in the loss of human lives but also in the destruction of houses which leads to the displacement of families, affecting their settlement and livelihood.
However, it is reassuring to know that despite being exposed to disaster risks, Filipinos can now access immediate assistance that will help them go through recovery and rehabilitation from a crisis situation with a promise of rebuilding the sense of normalcy and stability in their lives after disaster.
Integrated Disaster Shelter Assistance Program
Did you know that aside from helping Filipino families fulfill their dreams of having a house they can call their own, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) also extends shelter assistance to families whose houses are damaged or destroyed by disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes, landslides, and fires?
The DHSUD launched the Integrated Disaster Shelter Assistance Program (IDSAP) in February 2024 to directly address the immediate housing needs of disaster-affected families. It ensures that the government is at the frontline of disaster response both at national and local levels.
“We want a dependable government under Bagong Pilipinas and this program will ensure that the assistance we will be providing is holistic, from the disaster’s onset up to rehabilitation and recovery,” said DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar.
“We want our disaster-affected kababayans to immediately receive the government’s assistance. They already suffered from typhoons, earthquakes…we want to alleviate that by fast-tracking the delivery of our services,” he added.
There are three phases outlined in the implementation of IDSAP, namely emergency response, early recovery, and rehabilitation.
Under the first phase, disaster-affected families are provided with an Emergency Shelter Support (ESS) which is a one-time, unconditional financial assistance given to eligible family-beneficiaries whose houses are either partially or totally destroyed by disaster.
From the previous P15,000, the DHSUD increased the ESS to P30,000 for families with totally destroyed houses while P10,000 is given to families with partially damaged houses.
The second and third phases meanwhile are directed towards helping the disaster-affected families improve their living conditions and reduce their risk factors through restoration efforts.
Emergency Shelter Support Rollout in Metro Manila
To date, at least 200 families in the National Capital Region (NCR) already benefited from the distribution of ESS in San Juan City due to the two fire incidents that broke out in Barangay Batis and Barangay Rivera.
The financial assistance that the disaster-affected families received amounted to P3,500,000 while a sum of P7,200,000 is expected to be distributed among 500 beneficiaries from Valenzuela and Parañaque City in the next coming months.
The DHSUD NCR expressed its commitment to further coordinate with local government units within the region to effectively reach families who need shelter assistance through the IDSAP.
Speaking at the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas (KBP), DHSUD NCR Regional Director Atty. Norman Jacinto P. Doral reaffirmed the thrust of the country’s central housing authority to continue exhausting means to make sustainable urban development happen for Filipino families.
“Patuloy kaming masigasig na magbibigay ng serbisyo publiko para maipatupad ang proyektong pabahay na sapat, abot-kaya, at magdudulot nang maayos na pamumuhay sa ating mamamayan,” said Doral.
(We will continue striving to implement housing programs that are adequate, affordable, and meet the requirements of good living conditions for our fellow Filipinos.)
How to avail of the Shelter Assistance
Local government units with disaster-affected communities are encouraged to reach out to the regional offices of DHSUD to express their interest in availing the IDSAP for their beneficiaries.
DHSUD, for its part, will move forward with the request by providing the eligibility and documentation requirements as well as the vulnerability criteria of prospective family-beneficiaries.
Upon the completion of the said requirements, the implementation of the IDSAP Phase 1 or the provision of ESS amounting to P10,000 – P30,000 shall follow for eligible families, subject to the availability of funds.
For local government units in Metro Manila who are interested in availing the IDSAP, the DHSUD can be reached through the [email protected]. (JMP/PIA-NCR)
