EMERGENCYEMERGENCY CASH AID. Some of the beneficiaries in Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, affected by the devastation of Typhoon Tino, who received the Emergency Cash Transfer assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Thursday (Feb. 12, 2026). Families with severely damaged houses receive PHP10,325 each, while those with slightly damaged houses get PHP5,369 each. (Photo courtesy of DSWD-Negros Island Region)
BACOLOD CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Negros Island Region (DSWD NIR) started the payout of Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) assistance this week to families in Negros Occidental affected by the devastation of Typhoon Tino in November last year.
The beneficiaries are classified into families with severely damaged houses, who receive PHP10,325 each and those with slightly damaged houses, who get PHP5,369 each.
On Friday, 87 beneficiaries from Escalante City and Calatrava town in northern Negros received PHP10,325 each or a total of PHP898,275 during the payout held at the city coliseum.
The payout also covered affected tourism workers through a partnership between the DSWD and the Department of Tourism.
In southern Negros, 3,986 beneficiaries in Hinigaran town with slightly damaged houses received PHP5,369 each or about PHP21.4 million during simultaneous payouts held in various barangay covered courts on Thursday.
Hinigaran is one of the worst-hit local government units in the province’s fifth district, which has a total of 12,150 beneficiaries with severely damaged houses and 112,947 beneficiaries with slightly damaged houses.
In the fourth district, there are 6,587 beneficiares with severely damaged homes and 52,101 others with slightly damaged houses, who will also receive the ECT assistance in the coming days.
“The ECT program aims to provide immediate financial support to meet the basic needs of affected families and aid their recovery,” the DSWD-NIR said in a statement. “This is being implemented in accordance with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to expedite the delivery of government assistance to disaster victims and ensure that no one is left behind in the recovery process.”
In December last year, Typhoon Tino affected families in the highly urbanized Bacolod City were the first to receive the ECT assistance in the region.
Data showed a total of 39,369 families received PHP230.124 million in cash assistance.
Beneficiaries included 3,789 severely-affected families and 35,575 slightly-affected families. (PNA)
