Recognizing the traumatic effects of the 6.9 magnitude earthquake, personnel of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 8-Eastern Visayas has started providing psychosocial first aid to families living in tents in Bogo City, Cebu on Tuesday (October 7).
The psychosocial first aid aims to help the affected families cope with their traumatic experiences.
The team of social workers from Field Office Eastern Visayas arrived in Cebu on Monday (October 6) as part of the agency’s ‘One DSWD- approach’ where nearby field offices assist the Field Office 7-Central Visayas in its disaster response for quake-hit Cebuanos. (GDVF)
DSWD to send 225,000 food packs as 2nd wave of relief aid to Cebu quake-hit LGUs
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has started on Tuesday (October 7) the second wave of relief assistance for the 12 Northern Cebu towns reeling from the effects of the September 30 magnitude 6.9 earthquake.
“As instructed by DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian we have started sending out food packs as part of the Department’s second wave of assistance to augment the resources of the local government units (LGUs). This was based on the discussion of Secretary Gatchalian with the mayors for the needs of their constituents affected by the September 30 earthquake,” Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, said on Wednesday (October 8).
The DSWD completed the first wave of relief distribution on Monday (October 6), completing the dispatch of more than 225,000 FFPs to the affected LGUs in response to their requested augmentation support.
The LGUs which received the first wave of food packs include the City of Bogo and the municipalities of Medellin, San Remigio, Daanbantayan, Tabuelan, Sogod, Tabogon, Borbon, Catmon, Sta. Fe, Madridejos, and Bantayan.
Based on the meeting with the Northern Cebu mayors, Secretary Gatchalian committed to provide an additional 225,000 FFPs to the concerned LGUs to ensure adequate food support to the families affected by the temblor.
“The DSWD will respond to the request for the 2nd wave of relief aid, as the affected families need adequate food support at this trying time. We recognize that they have yet to achieve normalcy in their everyday lives. This is also in line with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to ensure food and water are provided to the affected families,” the DSWD spokesperson pointed out.
A total of 267,164 food packs had already been deployed by the DSWD as of 6am Wednesday (October 8), through its Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) located in Mandaue City.
The number is expected to increase as production and deployment of FFPs continue with the DSWD’s Field Office 7-Central Visayas quick response teams (QRTs) operating round-the-clock, 24/7.
Aside from the food packs and ready-to-eat (RTEF) food boxes, the DSWD has deployed four mobile kitchens (MKs) providing hot meals to internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in camps. The mobile kitchens provide nutritious meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to the IDPs.
The four mobile facilities are currently stationed in Bogo City and the towns of Medellin, San Remigio, and Daanbantayan.
Aside from the mobile kitchen of the DSWD’s Field Office Central Visayas, the three other mobile kitchens were deployed by the Field Offices (FOs) 8 (Eastern Visayas), 6 (Western Visayas), and CALABARZON to help in the disaster operations.
The DSWD FO 10-Northern Mindanao committed to send the fifth mobile kitchen to Cebu and is expected to arrive the Central Visayas province by Thursday (October 8).
To help with the supply of water, the water tanker of FO Central Visayas conducts daily rounds in quake hit localities as part of the intensified disaster response operations of the DSWD.
A team of social workers from Field Office Eastern Visayas also arrived to help in the provision of psychosocial support to the families traumatized by the calamity. Together with FO 7-Central Visayas social workers, the team started providing psychosocial first aid in Bogo City on Tuesday (October 7).
With affected families not wanting to go back to their homes due to the occurrence of aftershocks, the DSWD also distributed modular tents based on the requests of the LGUs.
One of the recipients, solo parent Evangelina Rosalejos of Barangay Tinugdan in Daanbantayan, expressed her appreciation for the DSWD modular tent which she received, providing temporary but safe shelter for her and her 18- year- old son.
“Malaking tulong po. Malaking pasalamat ko po sa DSWD. Kasi malaking tulong po ito sa amin. Kung wala pa itong bahay bahay, maliit lang na trapal ang aming ginagamit, tapos butas butas pa po. So, pag umuulan, nakaupo lang kami. Kasi marami kami sa isang tent, may mga bata po. So, ito, isa isa po kaming tent, malaking tulong, hindi na kami mababasa sa ulan, hindi na kami matatakot na umulan o anuman, safe na po kami,” Evangelina said.
According to Evangelina, she also received a family food pack from the DSWD, as distributed by their barangay.
The DSWD spokesperson stressed that aside from relief assistance, the Department is also making preparations for the early recovery phase of the disaster response operations. The DSWD will be implementing the Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) program once the LGUs had already finished with the list of the families with totally damaged and partially damaged houses.(GDVF)
