The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has extended more than Php11.9 million worth of humanitarian assistance to families displaced by the 5.7-magnitude temblor in the municipalities of Lebak and Kalamansig in Sultan Kudarat.
“Patuloy ang pamamahagi ng DSWD Field Office (FO) 12 – SOCCSKSARGEN ng tulong sa mga pamilyang nasa mga evacuation centers sa Sultan Kudarat. Higit Php9 milyon worth of assistance ang naibigay ng DSWD sa mga apektado sa bayan ng Kalamansig, habang sa munisipalidad ng Lebak ay higit Php2.9 million worth of humanitarian aid ang ibinahagi na ng Departamento,” Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) said on Thursday (January 29).
Asst. Secretary Dumlao, who is also DSWD spokesperson, noted that the Department’s mobile kitchen was deployed in Datu Guiabar Pilot School in Kalamansig to provide hot and nutritious meals to the displaced locals.
“Sa utos po ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., sinisigurado po ng DSWD na hindi magugutom ang ating mga kababayan na naapektuhan ng kalamidad. Agaran po kaming nagrereplenish ng mga family food packs (FFPs) at ng mga ready-to-eat food packs (RTEF) sa aming mga warehouses kapag may batch na naipamahagi na sa mga apektado nating mga kababayan. Nakikipag-coordinate din po kami sa mga concerned LGUs para sa pamamahagi ng mga hot meals,” the DSWD spokesperson pointed out.
Apart from providing relief goods, the DSWD FO 12 personnel are also monitoring the children and women friendly spaces established in Don Modesto Buenaflor Sr. Elementary School, also in Kalamansig.
As of press time, some 3,576 families or 13,121 persons are currently staying in 14 evacuation centers in Sultan Kudarat, while 1,057 families or 3,269 individuals opted to stay with their relatives or friends.
Asst. Secretary Dumlao assured the public that the DSWD has sufficient stockpiles in SOCCSKSARGEN to address the needs of all affected evacuees.
“Sa kasalukuyan, mayroong higit 78,000 FFPs pa sa aming mga warehouses na nakakalat sa Region 12. Patuloy rin po ang repacking at replenishment ng mga FFPs sa Visayas Disaster Response Center (VDRC) sa Mandaue City, kaya’t madali pong makakapagpadala sa Visayas at Mindanao ng mga FFPs kung kinakailangan,” the DSWD spokesperson said.
The Department, through the DSWD FO 12, is also continuously coordinating with the LGUs for other assistance that may be needed by the earthquake-affected families and individuals. (AKDL)
