The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VII poured more than nine million cash assistance to survivors of the recent fire incidents in region 7.

A total of 1,841 families received recently their cash assistance of Php 5,000.00 each. Some 1,240 families come from Cebu City, 341 families from Mandaue City and 260 families from Dumaguete City.

“The cash assistance is given to these families because they are in difficult circumstance and these families need immediate intervention for them to buy their basic needs and could start anew,” said DSWD-7 Regional Director Rebecca Geamala.

Director Geamala urged the remaining families who have yet to claim their cash assistance to visit the Crisis Intervention Section (CIS) of DSWD-7 located in Brgy. Carreta, Cebu City in order to claim the financial aid until Friday, March 13, 2020.

Aside from the financial assistance, the DSWD-7 also provided family food packs worth Php 1,055,880.00. Each family food pack contains 6 kilos rice, 4 canned sardines, 4 canned meat and 6 sachets 3-in-1 coffee.

Various non-food items were also distributed like hygiene kits, sleeping kits, malong, cooking utensils, mats, mosquito nets, pillows, bath towels and hand towels.

Meanwhile, the DSWD joined the inauguration of the three new Malasakit Centers housed in the three hospitals in Cebu on March 6, 2020. These hospitals are the Talisay District Hospital, St. Anthony Mother and Child in Cebu City, and the Lapu-Lapu City Hospital.

The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop for indigent and financially incapacitated patients who need medical and financial assistance from relevant government agencies like the DSWD, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). ###

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