Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian flew to Davao de Oro on Sunday February to check on the condition of the survivors of the recent landslide incident that hit the town of Maco last 6 February.

“Pinapunta ako ni Presidente (I was sent by the President) to make sure that, one, the evacuees are well-taken care of. Number two, pumunta kami kaninang umaga sa ospital para magparating ng tulong doon sa mga nasa ospital naman na mga biktima, (Second, we went to the hospital this morning to extend assistance to the victims who are hospitalized.)” Secretary Gatchalian told the local media during an ambush interview early this morning.

The DSWD chief lauded the disaster response efforts of the provincial government of Davao de Oro as well as the congressional offices for taking care of the evacuees.

“Kitang-kita naman natin na very active ang provincial government at ang kanilang [and their] congressional offices in taking care of the evacuees, pero alam natin na sa ganitong protracted evacuation ay kakailanganin natin ang tulong ng national government,” Gatchalian pointed out.

The DSWD chief also condoled with the grieving families who lost their loved ones in the Maco landslide. The death toll has risen to 35 while 77 people are still missing, according to the latest report of the Davao de Oro provincial government.

The DSWD Secretary, together with Undersecretary for Disaster Response and Managemnt Group Diana Rose Cajipe, Field Office-11, Regional Director Vanessa Goc-ong and her field personnel provided medical assistance to the survivors, including the family of a 3-year-old girl who was miraculously extracted from the landslide site after being buried in mud for two days.

Gatchalian also condoled with the grieving families who lost their loved ones from the unfortunate incident. The Maco landslide happened on a Tuesday night outside a gold mining site, burying homes, including two buses and a jeep that were supposed to ferry employees of a mining company.

The DSWD chief later met with local officials to discuss other forms of interventions for the landslide-hit families in the four affected barangays in Maco.

There are currently 1,347 families or 5,431 persons currently taking temporary shelter in 12 evacuation centers in Davao de Oro. The DSWD Field Office-11 provided initial financial assistance of Php10,000 each to the three survivors and their families under the

Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation last February 9.

Gatchalian earlier reported that some 300,000 family food packs have been released to Davao Region and more boxes of FFPs are coming through the joint effort of the DSWD, the Office of Civil Defense, the Philippine Air Force, the Philippine Navy, and the Philippine Coast Guard.

Some 55,000 boxes of FFPs have been loaded on Philippine Navy Vessel BRP Davao del Sur LD 602 on Sunday, 11 February, and is enroute to Davao City where these will be immediately dispatched to local government units affected by the trough of a low pressure area and shear line that hit Davao Region in late January.

The close collaboration of the DSWD and the Armed Forces of the Philippines and other government agencies is in line with President Marcos’ directive for a whole-of-government approach in responding to disasters.

The DSWD will oversee the arrival of the C-130 aircraft carrying additional family food packs that will be distributed to disaster-stricken families in Davao Region.

“Mamayang hapon ay sasalubungin ko ang C-130 na mas marami pang dalang family food packs. Alam naman natin na pag protracted ang evacuation ay hindi sila pauuwiin until na ma- stabilize ang kanilang lugar, (This afternoon I will be overseeing the arrival of the C-130 plane carrying more family food packs. As we all know that if the evacuation is protracted the evacuees will not be allowed to go home until such time that the situation in their places of origin has stabilized,),” Gatchalian said.