The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Field Office (FO) Caraga has continued its disaster relief operations on Sunday (February 22) by distributing distilled bottled waters and family food packs (FFPs) to families affected by Tropical Storm (TS) Basyang.
With the help of uniformed personnel and other volunteers from local government units (LGUs) and non-government organizations (NGOs), FO Caraga successfully delivered 1,710 bottled drinking water totaling to 17,100 liters of distilled water along with 838 FFPs to typhoon-affected families in Barangay Pakwan in Lanuza, Surigao del Sur.
Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) highlighted the importance of reaching even the most isolated and far-flung communities, ensuring that every individual is receiving assistance from the national government.
“Mahalaga po na lahat ng mga naapektuhan ng nagdaang bagyo ay mabigyang tulong ng DSWD, gaano man kalayo o ka-isolated ang lugar. This is in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr, which Secretary Rex Gatchalian always reiterates, that the national government should reach out not just to the most vulnerable or most affected, but more importantly to those living in the most isolated areas of our country,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, said on Monday (February 23).
As an isolated area, Barangay Pakwan remains one of the few communities still experiencing the effects of TS Basyang, which entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) as a tropical depression last February 3.
Aside from the bottled water, FO Caraga has continuously distributed food packs throughout the region since the onslaught of TS Basyang, with a total of Php103,952,650.67 worth of assistance already provided by the DSWD.
Asst. Secretary Dumlao underscored the DSWD’s preparedness in disaster response and relief operations, ensuring that food packs and other forms of aid are always on standby in the event of a calamity.
“Makakaasa po kayo na laging handa ang DSWD na magbigay ng anumang klase ng tulong, mula sa family food packs, distilled water, at iba pa sa mga apektado nating mga kababayan. Patuloy po ang pagkilos ng ating mga Field Offices, katuwang ang local government of Surigao del Sur upang masiguro na sapat at tama ang naibibigay nating tulong sa mga apektado ng kalamidad,” the DSWD spoksperson noted.
The latest report (February 21, 6:00 PM) from the DSWD’s Disaster Response Operations Management, Information, and Communication (DROMIC) showed a total of 168,567 families or 549,463 individuals affected by TS Basyang, with Surigao del Sur being the most impacted province in the region. (CC)
