The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has so far distributed more than Php16 million worth of augmentation support to local government units (LGUs) to help them meet the needs of their constituents who were affected by Tropical Storm Enteng.
“Our disaster response operations are still on-going, but we have already sent as of September 3, over Php16 million-worth of assistance as part of our resource augmentation to the affected localities,” Asst. Secretary for Disaster Response Management Group (DMRG) Irene Dumlao, who is also the agency’s spokesperson said on Tuesday (September 3).
The DSWD’s humanitarian aid covers food and non-food items that was provided to the affected population in the National Capital Region (NCR), Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, the Bicol Region, and Central and Eastern Visayas.
Asst. Secretary Dumlao said the agency’s Disaster Response Command Center (DRCC) remains on high alert as it coordinates with the various Field Offices, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center (NDRRMOC), and other concerned agencies to ensure unhampered response and swift assistance.
“We make sure that we are strengthening our lines of communication to immediately address the needs of our affected communities,” the DSWD spokesperson said.
Asst. Secretary Dumlao said relief supplies are in place in Northern Luzon and Cagayan Valley, which are now being severely affected by the weather disturbance.
“In the regional warehouse in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, we have already delivered 5,000 FFPs and brought the total prepositioned relief supplies to 16,116 FFPs across six storage facilities in the province.
This is to ascertain that we will never run out of relief supplies for our kababayans as Enteng brings heavy rainfall to their area,” the DSWD spokesperson pointed out.
Based on the September 3 report of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Operations Management, Information, and Communication (DROMIC), a total of 80,078 families or 303,938 persons in 767 barangays in the National Capital Region (NCR), Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, the Bicol Region, Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas have been affected by the tropical storm.
There are 14,607 families or 60,202 persons currently taking temporary shelter in 441 evacuation centers in the affected regions.
“We are facing a high volume of affected families, but we assure that we will maximize our prepositioned and available resources so that we can attend to their needs and other necessary interventions,” the DMRG official said.
DSWD releases 130K food packs to Enteng-hit families in Luzon
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian said on Tuesday (September 3) the agency has so far released 130,000 family food packs (FFPs) to families and individuals affected by heavy rains and floods due to Tropical Storm Enteng compounded by the southwest monsoon or habagat.
In a media interview during his visit to the evacuation center in San Pedro, Laguna, the DSWD chief said the boxes of FFPs were either prepositioned in DSWD Field Offices (FOs), released to local government units (LGUs); or currently being delivered or picked-up by LGUs.
“Si Enteng medyo wide-scale siya. Tinamaan ang Region 5 (Bicol Region), Region 4A (CALABARZON), National Capital Region (NCR), and Northern Luzon. Meron tayong reports from Region 2 (Cagayan Valley), as well as may konti sa Region 3 (Central Luzon) and then meron tayo sa Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) at sa Ilocos. As of yesterday, we have already prepositioned and ready for release. Meaning, nasa opisina na, pini-pick-up na, dini-deliver, na close to 130,000 FFPs in those regions,” Secretary Gatchalian said.
According to the DSWD chief, the agency has 1.7 million FFPs strategically prepositioned in the different warehouses across the country.
“Kung mayroon pang pangangailangan yung mga LGUs to augment, patuloy pa rin tayong magbibigay. But right now, 130,000 family food packs are the ongoing distribution, delivery, and pickup of different modalities,” the DSWD chief pointed out.
DSWD chief oversees distribution of aid to Enteng-hit families in Rizal, Laguna
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian personally visited displaced families staying in evacuation centers in Antipolo City and Cainta in Rizal province, and in San Pedro, Laguna on Tuesday (September 3).
“Ipinadala po ako ng ating Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. para kamustahin kayo. Alam ko naman na mahirap itong mga nakalipas na araw at gusto lang naming malaman ninyo na ang pamahalaang nasyunal, sa pamumuno ng ating Pangulo, ay nakatutok sa inyong sitwasyon,” Secretary Gatchalian told the evacuees who are presently staying in modular tents at the evacuation center in Jesus S. Cabarus Elementary School, Barangay San Jose in Antipolo City.
During his visit, Secretary Gatchalian oversaw the distribution of 107 family food packs (FFPs) and Php10,000 financial aid, through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), to each of the families of the seven individuals who perished from landslides and floods spawned by the effects of Tropical Storm Enteng in Antipolo City.
In Cainta, Rizal, some 198 boxes of FFPs were distributed by the DSWD Field Office – CALABARZON to displaced families staying at the Kabisig Elementary School in Barangay San Andres in Cainta, Rizal.
Afterwards, the DSWD chief went to check the condition of the evacuees staying at the Rosario Complex, San Pedro, Laguna who received a total of 128 FFPs from the DSWD.
The DSWD Secretary commended the local chief executives of the three local government units (LGUs) for their efficient and immediate delivery of assistance to their affected constituents.
“Pag very organized yung LGU, mas madali naming nagagawa yung trabaho namin,” Secretary Gatchalian pointed out.
Disaster preps
In an interview with media partners at the evacuation center, Secretary Gatchalian shared the preparations being done by the agency for the effects of the La Niña season.
“Alam nga namin na may binabantayan na dalawa pang potential na bagyo na papasok. Ang DSWD, sabi ko nga, 365 days in a year tuloy-tuloy ang ating preparation. Hindi tayo nag-aantay ng sakuna bago tayo nag-pe prepare,” the DSWD chief explained to members of the press.
“Sa utos ng ating Pangulo, mayroon kaming programa na Buong Bansa Handa. Ang programa na iyan continuous na stockpiling nationwide, prepositioning para hindi pa man tumatama ang bagyo o ang sakuna, nandoon na…ang goal natin lagi is to make an inventory of above 1 million nationwide. Right now, ang running inventory nga natin nasa about 1.7 million and we plan to grow that out all the way to 2 million kasi alam natin na may mga sunud-sunod na papasok nitong La Niña season,” the DSWD chief said.
