Jolo fire victims receive cash grants from government

COTABATO CITY -- The social welfare department started releasing Friday cash grants to victims of the conflagration in Jolo, Sulu on Tuesday that razed hundreds of houses.In a statement, the regional social welfare department of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao said 1,615 fire victims will receive assistance from the government’s Unconditional Cash Transfer under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.The Department of Social Welfare and Development-ARMM said the evacuees from Jolo’s fire-stricken Barangays Busbus and Walled City shall receive a total of P16,484,400 worth of cash assistance.More than 20,000 villagers were reportedly displaced by the fire, the Sulu’s worst in recent years.Laisa Masuhud-Alamia, regional secretary of DWSD-ARMM, said Friday displaced grade school children will each receive P300 while high school students shall have P500 worth of cash assistance each.Pregnant women needing prenatal care will also be given P500 each as health allowance, according to Alamia.The Humanitarian Emergency Assistance and Response Team of ARMM had distributed food rations to evacuees Wednesday in an initial relief operation led by the region’s chief executive, Gov. Mujiv Hataman.