The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its Field Office (FO) 5 – Bicol Region, continues to strengthen its disaster response efforts in providing sustained assistance to families affected by the Mayon volcano’s restiveness.
Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) said the Department has so far provided more than Php7.8 million in humanitarian aid, including family food packs (FFPs), ready-to-eat food (RTEF) boxes, and non-food items (NFIs).
“In collaboration with other agencies and local government units (LGUs), we are intensifying our efforts and making preparations to ensure that the needs of the affected families taking temporary shelter in evacuation centers are well taken care of,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, said on Tuesday (January 13).
As the internally displaced persons (IDPs) are expected to remain in evacuation centers while Mayon is under Alert Level 3, the DSWD, in partnership with the Philippine Army and the Philippine Coast Guard, immediately established the tent city in Malilipot, Albay.
“Patuloy ang monitoring sa mga tent sites at evacuation areas, para masigurong maayos ang serbisyo at agad natutugunan ang pangangailangan ng mga displaced families. Ang direktiba ng ating Pangulo, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at ni Secretary Rex Gatchalian ay walang maiiwan at tuloy-tuloy ang tulong hangga’t kinakailangan,” the DSWD spokesperson said.
The DRMG official also reported that the Department continues to provide FFPs, RTEF and NFIs.
In addition to FFPs, the Department also serves hot and nutritious meals through its mobile kitchen to ensure healthy food and nourishment for the displaced families.
Potable water is also being supplied through the Department’s mobile water station (MWS), benefiting the affected families since the first day of operations on January 9.
Asst. Secretary Dumlao emphasized that relief operations remain uninterrupted, with field teams actively coordinating with LGUs to address the basic needs of affected communities and ensure safe and humane conditions in evacuation at the tent sites.
“Ang importante dito ay may pagkain, malinis na tubig, at maayos na suporta yung mga pamilyang lumikas. Continuous din ang coordination natin with LGUs para masigurong walang napapabayaan. Nais din po naming ipaalam na handa po ang DSWD na tumugon sa mga pangangailangang pangmatagalan ng ating mga apektadong Bicolanos,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao said. (KI)
