Town wants Yolanda ESA scrapped

CEBU, Philippines - As the nation remembers the 29th anniversary of the EDSA Revolution, residents of Yolanda-stricken Bantayan town will hold a "Peaceful Assembly" today to call for the scrapping of the Emergency Shelter Assistance guidelines.

The gathering is set to happen at 2:30 in the afternoon at the Bantayan Municipal Plaza.

Bantayan town mayor Ian Escario will lead his constituents in appealing to the Department of Social Welfare and Development that the Yolanda ESA guidelines released November 2014 be disregarded so that the distribution of assistance be based on the omnibus guidelines.

They likewise intend to seek the help of President Benigno Aquino III to intervene on the issue.

The Yolanda ESA guidelines exclude government employees with monthly income of more than P15,000, as well as those living in the danger zones.

The omnibus guidelines, specifying otherwise, was the basis of the master list submitted to DSWD and the amount of the budget proposal.

The new guidelines stirred confusion as to eligibility of recipients.

Yolanda victims whose homes were partially damaged are to receive P10,000 and while those whose homes were totally destroyed are to get P30,000.

Escario earlier sent a letter to DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman, copies of which were furnished to the President and the regional director Mercedita Jabagat.

The three-page letter cited five reasons why the mayor is against the guidelines a year after super typhoon struck, primarily stressing confusion and inconsistencies on the two guidelines. —(FREEMAN)