The Department of Social Welfare and Development continues to check on the conditions of internally displaced individuals (IDPs) as Severe Tropical Storm (STS) ‘Opong’ batters Eastern Visayas and Southern Luzon.
Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao of the Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) said the agency has already provided ready-to-eat-food (RTEF) to some stranded passengers at the North Port Terminal in the City of Manila since Thursday evening, where various trips were cancelled due to the anticipated effects of STS ‘Opong.’
“Dahil nga rin po sa prepositioning agreement natin sa Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), mabilis nating naipamahagi itong mga RTEF sa mga kababayan natin. Alinsunod sa direktiba ng ating Pangulo na walang magugutom sa gitna ng sakuna,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao, the DSWD spokesperson, said on Friday (September 26).
Earlier this year, the DSWD and the PPA tied-up for faster distribution of RTEF, which includes the prepositioning of RTEF boxes in port areas nationwide.
The RTEF is the latest addition to the DSWD’s food provision for disaster-hit families. It contains halal-certified meals intended for evacuees or stranded passengers, particularly within the 24-48 hours after a disaster hits a certain area.
Ahead of the direct impact of ‘Opong’ in the Bicol Region, disaster response front liners of DSWD Field Office (FO) 5 – Bicol Region personally checked on pre-emptive evacuations.
The FO-5 Quick Response Teams (QRTs) in the municipalities of Tigaon, Lagonoy, Sagñay, Siruma, Sipocot, Del Gallego, and Calabanga conducted an assessment to identify the needs of displaced individuals particularly the children, senior citizens, pregnant women and other vulnerable sectors.
“Of course, sa hanay ng DSWD, very supportive kami sa mga pre-emptive evacuation, Lalo na dahil ang layunin naman talaga nito ay masiguradong safe ang mga kababayan natin. Tayo from the national government and our Field Offices (FOs), ina-assure natin na sapat ang mga food and non-food items (FNFIs) ng DSWD para tugunan ang pangangailangan ng mga mag-e-evacuate,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao pointed out.
The DSWD has over 2.5 million boxes of family food packs (FFPs) prepositioned in designated warehouses nationwide and Php800 million-worth of non-food items (NFIs) such as family, hygiene, kitchen kits and modular tents, among others.
The DSWD also continues to release food packs and other relief items to families that were impacted by Tropical Cyclones ‘Mirasol’ and ‘Nando,’ and the intensified southwest monsoon or habagat.
A total of 314,326 families or 1,115,904 persons have been affected by the combined effects of recent weather disturbances and ‘Opong’ based on the 6:00 a.m Disaster Response Operations Management, Information and Communication (DROMIC) report.
The affected families are from 3,143 barangays in Regions 1 (Ilocos Region) 2 (Cagayan Valley), 3 (Central Luzon), CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, 5 (Bicol Region), 6 (Western Visayas), 7 (Central Visayas), 8 (Eastern Visayas), 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN), National Capital Region (NCR), and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
“Nag-ooverlap na po ang post-disaster response efforts natin noong mga nakaraang bagyo pero hindi po dapat mangamba ang publiko na mauubusan tayo ng relief items. Our stockpile is stabilized by our continuous replenishment and production of new supplies,” the DSWD spokesperson said.
Aside from food and non-food items (FNFIs), FO personnel continue to ensure that the government is able to meet the sector-specific needs of IDPs inside open evacuation centers.
“In close coordination with our LGU counterparts, we make sure that there are child-friendly and women-friendly spaces. Sinusubaybayan at binibigyang pansin din natin yung mga needs ng mga kababayan nating senior citizens and persons with disabilities, dahil alam nating mas vulnerable sila in times of calamities and emergencies,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao pointed out. (LSJ)
