Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian has assured Davaoenos of the agency’s immediate delivery of food packs and temporary shelter for families hit by the October 10 twin earthquakes in Davao Oriental.
“So pagdating sa pagkain, alinsunod sa utos ng Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., walang pamilyang apektado ang magugutom, sisiguraduhin nya ho iyon. Pangalawa, pinag-usapan din namin kanina yung temporary shelter, kami ni (DPWH) Sec. Vince (Dizon). Nakipag-ugnayan sya sa Philippine Red Cross at pagtutulungan namin ng Red Cross yung pagtatayo ng mga temporary shelter para sa mga pamilya na nasira ang bahay at kakailanganin ng pansamantalang matutuluyan,” Secretary Gatchalian told local reporters on Saturday (October 11) at the Old Airport in Davao City.
According to Secretary Gatchalian, the Department has more than 100,000 boxes of family food packs (FFPs) prepositioned across various warehouses in Davao Region. These food packs as well as non-food items (NFIs) can be distributed immediately by the DSWD Field Office 11 – Davao Region to quake-hit locals.
Secretary Gatchalian also said during the press conference that in the event that the stockpile in Davao Region gets depleted, the DSWD’s Field Office inter-operability will be implemented to provide augmentation assistance to the affected region.
“May mga areas like sa Caraga, na pwede rin namang gamitin yung stockpile nila doon. That’s another hundred thousand kung may kailangan pa ulit dito sa Davao Region, interoperable yung mga offices namin,” the DSWD chief pointed out.
The DSWD will also set up giant tents to serve as temporary hospitals following damages in the Manay District Hospital and Davao del Norte Hospital.
“Napag-usapan din namin ng local government, ng provincial government ng Davao del Norte yung need nila for tents, these are the big tents na para sa mga ospital na may nasustain na minor damages pero hindi muna nila pinapasok ang mga pasyente. Those tents have been deployed and then the last two big ones will be deployed by tonight para sigurado na yung mga pasyente natin is out of harm’s way at hindi naka-expose sa elements,” Secretary Gatchalian said.
The giant tents, called Mobile Storage Units (MSUs) measuring 10 x 32 meters, will be set up in coordination with the World Food Programme (WFP), while the Department of Health (DOH) will deploy medical staff to care for patients who will be temporarily transferred to these tents.
“Rest assured na kahit na sabay-sabay na nangyayari, mayroon tayong typhoon efforts sa Masbate, meron tayong earthquake sa Cebu, mayroon din tayong earthquake dito sa Davao. Kayang-kaya ng DSWD na mag-respond when it comes to the immediate food and shelter requirements, and water requirements of our victims,” Secretary Gatchalian said. (AKDL)
