Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian joins President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday (October 2) in visiting Cebuano families severely affected by the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Central Visayas.
The President personally checked the ground situation in Bogo City and the extent of damage caused by the powerful temblor late evening of September 30.
During an informal meeting, Secretary Gatchalian briefed President Marcos on DSWD’s on-going disaster relief and response operations in the northern areas of Cebu province severely affected by the earthquake which include the City of Bogo and the towns of San Remigio and Medellin. (GDVF)
DSWD execs oversee relief distribution in quake-hit Cebu
Officials of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Thursday (October 2) led the aid distribution for families affected by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Bogo City, Cebu.
As instructed by Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Undersecretary Diana Rose Cajipe of the Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) and Director Shalaine Marie Lucero of DSWD Field Office 7–Central Visayas supervised the provision of family food packs (FFPs), ready-to-eat food (RTEF) boxes, and hot meals for the displaced population.
The DSWD team also checked on the condition of injured individuals staying at the Cebu Provincial Hospital.
The continuous relief operations are in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to ensure that all families affected by the September 30 temblor do not go hungry and are provided with their basic needs. (AKDL)
DSWD deploys ‘full arsenal’ of aid for families affected by 6.9-magnitude Cebu earthquake
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has intensified its disaster response operations for families affected by the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu on Tuesday night (September 30), deploying what its senior official described as the agency’s “full arsenal” of relief and recovery support.
Assistant Secretary Leo Quintilla, concurrent Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of the DSWD’s National Resource and Logistics Management Bureau (NRLMB), said the Department has ensured the delivery of food, water, shelter, and psychosocial services to quake-hit communities, while also preparing for early recovery interventions such as the emergency cash transfer (ECT) program.
“We have deployed all the arsenal of the DSWD for the 6.9 earthquake. We have deployed what’s in our arsenal to ensure that ma-mitigate [ang effects] at the same time we’re responding to the needs sa area,” Asst. Secretary Quintilla told reporters on Thursday (October 2) during the DSWD Media Forum held at the Central Office’s New Press Center in Quezon City.
This is in line with the directive of the President to immediately reach out to the affected families and exert all efforts to ensure that adequate and appropriate assistance is provided to the affected families, according to the NRLMB-OIC.
Asst. Secretary Quintilla pointed out that immediately after the earthquake, the DSWD partnered with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to bring ready-to-eat meals to Bogo City, one of the hardest-hit area in Northern Cebu, amid uncertainties over road access.
Asst. Secretary Quintilla cited the presence of the Department’s mobile command center (MCC), water filtration trucks, water tankers, and mobile kitchens in Cebu.
“Nandoon na rin yung aming trucks, water trucks with filtration machines to ensure that there will be available water because affected din yung mga water system because of the earthquake. Nandoon na rin yung aming water filtration kits, nandoon yung food packs namin, nandoon yung ready-to-eat food (RTEF),” Asst. Secretary Quintilla told reporters.
The DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) is also sending family tents and shelter-grade tarpaulins intended for Cebuanos whose houses were destroyed by the powerful temblor.
“As we speak, nagpapadala na tayo ng tents because yun yung pinaka-need ngayon ng mga tao sa labas ng kanilang bahay na hindi pa stable ang mga structures. So, family tents and also the sheltered-grade tarpaulins natin,” the DSWD official said.
Based on the latest report, at least 4,000 families, or around 20,000 individuals, remain displaced outside evacuation centers as aftershocks continue to hit Cebu.
Strategic stockpile in Cebu
The NLRMB-OIC said the DSWD has released 6,800 FFPs and 2,000 RTEF as initial response, but expects the numbers to go up as relief operations continues.
Asst. Secretary Quintilla assured Cebuanos that relief supplies are adequate, stressing that the major hubs of the DSWD continue to produce thousands of FFPs.
“To assure the public na nandito yung government ninyo, for the entire Cebu province, we have a total of 422,000 food boxes available. Bakit mataas? Because nandoon yung ating Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) sa Cebu. Doon tayo nagpo-produce,” Asst. Secretary Quintilla explained to reporters.
Nationwide, the DSWD has 2.3 million boxes of FFPs prepositioned in hubs, spokes, and last miles across the country.
Support ‘from womb to tomb’
Apart from immediate relief, the Department is providing psychosocial support services to help survivors cope with trauma. Neighboring field offices have sent teams of social workers to assist families in evacuation centers and communities.
The DSWD earlier announced that it will provide burial assistance to families whose loved ones were among the fatalities.
The Department is also preparing for the rollout of the ECT program as part of its early recovery strategy.
“Aside from immediate response, the Department is also preparing for the emergency cash transfer. The ECT, ito naman yung ating programa for the early recovery. Pag cash kasi, medyo flexible siya. Pwede mong ibili ng pang-bubong, pwede mong pambili ng pagkain,” Asst. Secretary Quintilla said.
Despite the current focus on intensified operations in Cebu, the DSWD official stressed that the Department conducts simultaneous disaster relief and response operations to respond to those affected by tropical cyclones ‘Opong’ and ‘Nandong’. (YADP)
PBBM cites presence of DSWD prod hub in Cebu as key in steady relief supplies to quake-hit areas
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. assured the local chief executives of the communities hit by the massive quake in Cebu province that the national government will not fall short on providing timely and sufficient relief items to all affected families, especially with the presence of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) major relief production hub in Mandaue City.
“Basta kung ano yung kailangan ng mga kababayan natin, they can have as many as they actually need. Yung isang gawaan ng mga relief packs ay nandito sa Cebu kaya they produce 30,000 a day so hindi magiging problema [ang supplies ng relief packs],” President Marcos said on Thursday (October 2) during a situation briefing with various government agencies and LGUs engaged in humanitarian efforts in the response to the September 30 earthquake.
In less than 24 hours after the tremor, the agency’s mobile kitchen has been on-the-go to provide hot, nourishing meals to affected individuals.
President Marcos said the deployment of these kitchen-on-wheels stands critical in preventing disaster-hit individuals’ fatigue on canned relief goods.
“Naglagay na rin tayo ng mga mobile kitchen para meron namang makain, mahirap naman na puro de lata lang ang kinakain, lalo na ang mga bata. So we put that up,” President Marcos said.
Secretary Rex Gatchalian joined the President in visiting families severely affected by the 6.9 magnitude earthquake, and assessing the ground situation in Bogo City.
The DSWD Secretary likewise briefed the President on the Department’s ongoing disaster response operations.
“As mentioned yesterday, we have around 300,000 boxes that are ready to go. It’s already in the province, since all of it is produced in the province as well. All we need from the local government and the mayors is kung saan natin ide-deliver, but rest assured that we have more than enough food packs. We also have those ready-to-eat boxes that are ready to go sa areas na wala pang power,” Secretary Gatchalian said in his brief report to the President.
The Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC), located in Mandaue City in Cebu province, maintains 300,000 DSWD family food packs (FFPs) that can be released for the ongoing relief operations any time of the day.
As local folks’ access to potable water remains a challenge due to power outage and infrastructure damages, Secretary Gatchalian said the agency will be sending more water tankers.
“The water purifying truck, I believe, is already here. We’re pulling out some more from the other regions. But the food sir, we are okay, we just need the help of the LGUs to do the last-mile distribution,” Secretary Gatchalian pointed out.
After the situation briefing with the President, Secretary Gatchalian proceeded to lead the distribution of food packs to residents from Barangays Bungtod, Pandan, and Sto. Rosario in Bogo City.
The DSWD chief also presided over a brief meeting with local chief executives of Cebu province to personally account the number of FFPs that they will be needing in the coming days to ensure the welfare of their disaster-hit constituents.
The Department has so far released 14,100 FFPs and 2,000 ready-to-eat food (RTEF) boxes to families and individuals still reeling from the 6.9-magnitude quake and continuing aftershocks.
This is expected to continuously soar as the DSWD goes all-out in humanitarian response to disaster-affected Cebuanos. (LSJ)
