On orders of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian, the agency’s Field Office (FO) 11- Davao Region has activated its Mobile Command Center (MCC) following the magnitude 7.6 earthquake that struck 62 kilometers southeast of Manay, Davao Oriental at around 9:43 a.m. on Friday (October 10).
Secretary Gatchalian immediately directed the regional quick response team (QRT) to ensure readiness of all personnel and logistics support for possible relief and response operations.
“If it’s safe to travel, can you proceed to Oriental. Bring the mobile kitchen and command center,” Secretary Gatchalian instructed DSWD Field Office 11 Regional Director Roelle Aradanas shortly after the tremor.
The Mobile Command Center or MCC is a fully equipped operations hub enabling real-time communication, monitoring, and coordination with field teams, even in areas where communication lines may be unstable.
The MCC is designed for rapid deployment during emergencies to support both local governments and affected communities.
Secretary Gatchalian reminded the Davao regional director to prioritize the safety of the field personnel before mobilization.
“Make sure it’s safe to go. Don’t rush in if it’s not yet safe. Roelle, your safety and your staff’s safety come first,” the DSWD Secretary said.
Regional Director Aradanas reported to Secretary Gatchalian via text message that initial coordination with Manay Mayor Jon Marco Dayanghirang is underway to assess the situation in the quake’s epicenter.
“He’s (Mayor Dayanghirang) currently at the hospital attending to those injured by debris. While some structures were damaged, their main concern now is the potential threat of a tsunami. I’m preparing the mobile kitchen and command center, Sec, and we’ll be heading to Oriental shortly,” Regional Director Aradanas told Secretary Gatchalian.
As of Friday, the DSWD Field Office 11 has 103,614 family food packs (FFPs), 5,000 ready-to-eat food (RTEF) boxes, and 30,019 non-food items (NFIs) strategically prepositioned in the region.
The NFIs include 4,640 family kits, 124 hygiene kits, 5,893 kitchen kits, 7,109 sleeping kits, 504 family tents, 11,108 modular tents, 291 laminated sacks, and 350 tarpaulin rolls.
In Davao Oriental, there are 7,256 FFPs and 350 NFIs already prepositioned — consisting of 100 family kits, 100 kitchen kits, 100 sleeping kits, and 50 modular tents. (YADP)
DSWD provides initial Php615K in aid to quake-hit Manay town in Davao Oriental
Following the powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake that jolted the town of Manay in Davao Oriental on Friday (October 10), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) immediately extended Php615,000 in relief support to the local government unit (LGU) for its affected constituents.
“Immediately after the earthquake, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian instructed our Davao Region Field Office (FO) and directed the quick response team (QRT) to prepare personnel and logistic support for deployment to the affected areas. And as of 4pm today, our Field Office in Davao Region has already provided assistance to the affected families amounting to Php 615,840,” Asst. Secretary Juan Carlo Marquez, who is also the DSWD co-spokesperson, said on Friday (October 10).
The initial assistance consisted of 50 family food packs (FFPs) to be cooked into hot meals through the FO-11’s mobile kitchen and 606 boxes of Ready-to-Eat Food (RTEF) for distribution to the internally displaced persons (IDPs).
The FOs’ mobile command center (MCC) has already been deployed to Davao Oriental, according to the DSWD co-spokesperson.
Based on the 4pm, October 10 situational report of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Operations Management, Information and Communication (DROMIC), there are 15,868 families or 78,430 individuals affected by the earthquake in Davao Oriental. A total of 1,583 families or 7,915 individuals are currently staying in 5 evacuation centers set up by the LGU.
“The DSWD FO -11 is closely coordinating with the LGU to get more information, and get an initial assessment of the situation. We expect the number of affected families to increase as we progress in the assessment of the situation,” Asst. Secretary Marquez said.
The DSWD’s co-spokesperson assured Davaoeños that aside from the initial assistance provided, the agency is ready to respond to their needs.
As of Friday, the DSWD Field Office 11 has a stockpile of 103,614 family food packs (FFPs), 5,000 ready-to-eat food (RTEF) boxes, and 30,019 non-food items (NFIs) strategically prepositioned in the region.
The NFIs include 4,640 family kits, 124 hygiene kits, 5,893 kitchen kits, 7,109 sleeping kits, 504 family tents, 11,108 modular tents, 291 laminated sacks, and 350 tarpaulin rolls.
The town of Manay was the epicenter of the strong temblor which occurred around 9:43a.m Friday and also affected nearby provinces and regions.
Soon after the earthquake, the DSWD Field Office 11-Davao Region, activated its disaster response operations for the 7.5 magnitude earthquake. (GDVF)
