Hontiveros urges DSWD to give P30k cash aid to Taal victims

Senator Risa Hontiveros is advocating for the immediate release of P30,000 in cash assistance to families affected by the Taal volcano eruption.

She urged the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to utilize funds from the Emergency Cash Transfer and Emergency Shelter Assistance programs.

Hontiveros emphasized that victims need direct financial help, not loans, to cover their daily needs.

She proposed that the President could act on providing these cash grants by reallocating funds from the current budget.

Department secretaries should realign funds for this purpose, with reimbursement to be sourced from a supplemental budget.

Hontiveros stressed the importance of specifically earmarking the P30,000 cash assistance in the supplemental budget to guarantee its provision.

She acknowledged that while P30,000 is not enough, it serves as an initial aid while the government conducts post-disaster assessments and planning.

The senator believes that cash aid empowers affected families by allowing them to decide how to best use the assistance for their own needs.