We talked to Gloria Reyes, director of Supérate, the social protection program in the Dominican Republic, about the Emergency Bonus, an initiative that helped thousands of Dominicans in one of the country's most desolate moments.
What is the Emergency Bonus and what does it consist of?
The Emergency Bonus is an adaptive social protection measure and in very simple terms, it is a monetary transfer that is activated at the moment of an emergency. It is a direct support to families affected by atmospheric phenomena such as cyclones, hurricanes or floods.
How does a social crisis response program such as the Emergency Bonus affect groups with special needs, such as women, single mothers or girls?
Since the design of the Emergency Bonus, we have included a prioritization criterion at the time of eligibility for this voucher so that women heads of household and especially households where there are minors, are prioritized with the transfer.
What is the importance of social protection programs for a country like the Dominican Republic, which is constantly exposed to this type of phenomena?
Having a clear, defined strategy, with all the tools and with all the sectorial interoperability has been a great advance, it has been a great bet of the country that has allowed us to give an early response, in time, and to prevent the increase of the risk of the families that live this type of phenomena.
And it is definitely a contingent measure that stops people from returning to a condition of poverty if they have already overcome it. And for those who are in poverty, it helps them not to be in a worse condition.
Interviewer: Álvaro G. De Pablo
