The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Field Office (FO) 4-A – Calabarzon Regional Director Barry Chua briefs members of the media on his FO’s disaster response operations following the series of tropical storms and fire incidents that affected various parts of the region.
In the Thursday Media Forum on September 12, RD Barry Chua, who was joined by Calabarzon Disaster Response and Management Division (DRMD) Chief Laila Abo Milambilin, provided reporters with updates on the family food packs (FFPs) and non-food items (NFIs) that were already delivered to local government units (LGUs) affected by Carina and Enteng across the region.
RD Chua also shared their FO’s on-going response to the September 10 Bacoor fire incident that left hundreds of families homeless. Based on DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian directive, the department is eyeing the provision of financial assistance to the fire-hit community.
The Thursday Media Forum is organized by the Strategic Communications Group and hosted by Special Assistant to the Secretary (SAS) for Communications Raymond Robert Burgos and OIC of the Office of the Asst. Secretary for Strategic Communications (Strat Comm) and Agency Operations Service (AOS) Director Clarissa Lara Duran.
It is livestreamed over the DSWD Facebook account.
DSWD CALABARZON steps up efforts to enhance disaster ops in hard-to-reach areas
In an effort to step up its disaster response in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs), the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Field Office (FO)-CALABARZON is now in the process of procuring more storage facilities in these hard-to-reach localities.
In the DSWD’s Thursday Media Forum on September 12 at the Central Office’s New Press Center in Quezon City, DSWD-CALABARZON Regional Director Barry Chua told the members of the Media that the FO recently inaugurated a new warehouse in Polillo Island located off the eastern coast of Luzon.
“Meron na po tayong bagong warehouse mismo dito sa Polillo Island. Needed po talaga yan kasi ang hirap po talagang magdala ng food packs dahil isolated, pag may bagyo, hindi talaga makakabyahe. Kailangan pang hintayin na mag-declare ang coast guard na pwede nang bumiyahe,” Director Chua pointed out.
This warehouse, according to Director Chua, will ease difficulties and expedite the FO’s delivery of relief augmentation to the island during disasters and calamities.
“Kaya instead, ang remedy namin, meron na pong rented warehouse sa Polillo na pwede po kaming maglagay ng 10,000 food packs para po ma-accommodate yung ibang mga LGUs,” RD Chua said.
The new warehouse brought the regional warehouse of FO CALABARZON to five, while 62 local government unit (LGU)-owned storage facilities in Quezon province have signed agreements with the DSWD for the prepositioning of family food packs.
Of the 62 facilities, Director Chua emphasized that the majority are strategically located in Quezon province, being one of the farthest areas from the FO’s main office in Alabang, Muntinlupa.
“At sa LGU po, may naka-preposition tayo, may MOA [Memorandum of Agreement] po tayo sa mga LGU para sa pag-stock ng mga food packs. Mostly po nitong 62 LGUs ay nasa Quezon kasi yan po ang medyo mas malayo sa ating office.”
Partnering with LGUs for lease of additional storage facilities, according to RD Chua, is part of their effort in addressing problems that hamper the DSWD’s disaster preparedness and response, particularly in remote areas.
