As Typhoon Marce brings heavy rainfall and gusty winds in Northern Luzon, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 2 – Cagayan Valley on Wednesday (November 6) distributed family food packs (FFPs) to 250 internally displaced families from Maconacon, a coastal town in the province of Isabela.
The residents are currently staying in eight open evacuation centers as local authorities urged immediate evacuation due to the inclement weather brought about by Marce.
The DSWD’s Cagayan Valley regional office, in close coordination with concerned local government units (LGUs), is actively monitoring the status of affected families to ensure prompt delivery of relief assistance.
DSWD provides initial 250 food packs to Isabela coastal town amid Typhoon Marce
The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Field Office 2-Cagayan Valley has initially provided 250 family food packs (FFPs) and 250 non-food items (NFIs) to residents of the coastal town of Maconacon in Isabela province who were evacuated as Typhoon Marce trails Northern Luzon.
Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, said the relief aid was swiftly distributed to a total of 250 families who are currently staying in eight open evacuation centers in nearby areas.
“Based on our 6:00 a.m. [Disaster Response Operations Management, Information and Communication] report, 250 FFPs have already been released by Field Office 2 particularly in Maconacon, Isabela dahil meron na pong mga na-evacuate doon na mga affected populations,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao told reporters at the Thursday Media Forum on November 7 at the New Press Center in the DSWD’s Central Office in Quezon City.
From the same report, a total of 1,133 families or 3,275 individuals have been affected by Typhoon Marce across the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
Asst. Secretary Dumlao assured reporters that the agency has over 220,000 boxes of FFPs which have been prepositioned in its storage facilities in the three regions, ready to augment the resources of local government units (LGUs) for their disaster response.
The DRMG official said that despite the on-going disaster response for Kristine and Leon, the agency has an available national stockpile of 1,338,604 boxes of FFPs strategically prepositioned across its hubs, spokes, and last-mile facilities.
Under the directive of Secretary Rex Gatchalian, the Department has fully activated the hubs in Central Luzon to bolster the production of relief supplies and ease the delivery of aid in nearby-areas that also bore the brunt of the recent weather disturbances.
“Nagdagdag din tayo ng production hubs dito sa Central Luzon para madagdagan yung mga family food packs na pino-produce sa NROC [National Resource Operations Center] at mas mapabilis pa yung paghahatid ng karagdagang tulong dito sa Regions 1,2, and again, CAR,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao pointed out.
On-going response for Kristine, Leon
In the same forum, Asst. Secretary Dumlao reported that the DSWD has so far extended 1,228,827 boxes of FFPs to families and individuals nationwide who were affected by Kristine and Leon.
“Gayundin po, mahigit na 38,000 na mga non-food items na kinabibilangan po ng mga hygiene, family at sleeping kits ang naipamahagi ng DSWD sa mga apektadong local government units,” the DSWD spokesperson said.
The Department has also disbursed over Php21.6 million in cash aid under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) and the Ayuda Para sa Kapos Ang Kita Program (AKAP).
The cash assistance, according to the DRMG asst. secretary, was given to the bereaved families of the casualties of the recent weather disturbances, as well as to those whose houses and livelihoods were damaged and compromised.
DSWD extends Php339 million in aid to Kristine-hit Bicolanos
The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Field Office 5 – Bicol Region has so far provided more than Php339 million humanitarian aid to families and individuals affected by Severe Tropical Storm (STS) ‘Kristine’ in the Bicol Region.
“In four days time, nai-deliver po agad natin sa Naga City ang 35,000 family food packs (FFPs) kasama po yung six liters bottled waters at iba pang non-food items para sa siyudad ng Naga. Lahat po ng pangangailangan at request ng lahat po ng mga kababayan natin sa Bicol ay naipaabot na po natin sa kanila,” DSWD Field Office 5 – Bicol Regional Director Norman Laurio told reporters at the DSWD Thursday Media Forum on November 7.
The humanitarian assistance provided to 462,969 families consisted of FFPs and non-food items such as family kits as well hygiene, sleeping, and kitchen kits.
The DSWD FO-5 also provided financial assistance amounting to Php20.91 million under the agency’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) and Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP).
“Dalawang araw po matapos tumama ang bagyong Kristine sa Bicol Region, binisita po agad tayo ng ating butihing Secretary Rex Gatchalian, kasama po mismo ang ating magaling at aktibo rin na Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao… Pumunta po kami sa evacuation centers para tingnan at alamin kung ano pa ang pangangailangan ng Naga,” RD Laurio pointed out.
Director Laurio emphasized that the whole-of-government approach directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr was crucial in the disaster response operations in the Bicol Region, especially in reaching isolated areas that experienced flooding.
“Katuwang natin ang halos lahat ng sangay ng gobyerno—Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Air Force (PAF), Bureau of Fire Protection, lahat po yan. Kung inyo pong maalala, two days after dumating si Secretary Gatchalian sa Camarines Sur ay dumating po mismo ang ating mahal na Pangulo. Siya po mismo ang nag-order sa lahat ng concerned national government agencies na tulungan sa relief operations ang ating mga kasama sa Camarines Sur at Albay,” Director Laurio explained.
The DSWD FO-5 official added: “Ang ginawa po natin, per the directives of the President and the Secretary, gamit po ang chopper ng PAF, the Indonesian government, Malaysian Air Force, Brunei, naitawid po natin yung pagkain sa lugar na yon [na isolated].”
President Marcos and Secretary Gatchalian also distributed cash aid through the Presidential Assistance to farmers, fisherfolk and their families (PAFFF) in the Provinces of Camarines Sur and Albay on Wednesday (November 6).
Inter-FO augmentation
Social workers from other Field Offices also assisted the DSWD Bicol Region in the camp coordination and camp management (CCCM).
“Patuloy po ang isinasagawa nating camp coordination and camp management (CCCM). Alam po ninyo, ang kagandahan dito sa DSWD, ay nag-augment na po ang ating magagaling na Angels in Red Vests from Region 1 (Ilocos Region), Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and Region 7 (Central Visayas) para tulungan yung mga personnel sa DSWD FO 5 para sila ay makapahinga,” Director Laurio said.
According to the Bicol regional director, the personnel from the different FOs are conducting psychological support to individuals inside the evacuation centers and are assisting in CCCM.
“Sila na po ngayon ang nagka-conduct ng psychosocial interventions sa mga evacuation centers and the CCCM para po matignan, maalagaan, at matugunan ang pangangailagan ng ating evacuees,” Director Laurio said.
The DSWD FO-5, through its Protective Services Division, also provided psychosocial support to the bereaved families of those who perished at the height of STS Kristine.
DSWD execs discuss on-going response ops for series of tropical cyclones in Thursday Media Forum
Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, who is also the agency spokesperson, discusses the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) on-going disaster response efforts for Severe Tropical Storm (STS) Kristine, Super Typhoon (ST) Leon, and Typhoon Marce during the DSWD Thursday (November 7) Media Forum.
The DRMG official was joined by DSWD Field Office (FO) 5 – Bicol Regional Director Norman Laurio who provided updates on the assistance provided by the FO-5 to Kristine-affected Bicolanos.
The Thursday Media Forum, held at the DSWD Central Office’s New Press Center in Quezon City, was hosted by Special Assistant to the Secretary (SAS) for Communications Raymond Robert Burgos and Traditional Media Service (TMS) Director Aldrine Fermin and livestreamed over the DSWD Facebook.
