DSWD responds swiftly to Mindanao flooding

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has been actively responding to severe flooding in Mindanao caused by heavy rains from the southwest monsoon.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian directed their regional offices in SOCCSKSARGEN and Zamboanga Peninsula to utilize prepositioned family food packs (FFPs) and dispatch additional supplies to affected areas, particularly in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Specifically, DSWD Field Office 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN) has distributed 3,983 boxes of family food packs to affected families in Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte. These efforts include immediate distribution to places like Balabagan and Kapatagan in Lanao del Sur, as well as Matanog in Maguindanao del Norte, to aid families coping with the crisis.

DSWD’s disaster response teams are conducting validation and assessment operations to accurately gauge the extent of the damage and coordinate further interventions with local government units (LGUs). This proactive approach aims to provide essential support to communities affected by the recent flooding in Mindanao.

Intensified relief operations were conducted round-the-clock by the DSWD SOCCSKSARGEN regional office through its Disaster Response Management Division (DRMD).

On Saturday, the Field Office 12’s DRMD promptly conducted validation and assessment operations in response to heavy rains and subsequent flooding affecting several areas in Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani provinces.

“Simultaneous validation and assessment activities were also carried out in the municipalities of Kiamba and Maitum in Sarangani, as well as in Lebak, Kalamansig, and Palimbang in Sultan Kudarat,” reported SOCCSKSARGEN Regional Director Loreto Cabaya to the DRMD.

The distributed FFPs contain essential food items, including rice, canned goods, coffee, and other necessities, designed to sustain families during this difficult period.

“DSWD 12 is dedicated to providing timely and efficient aid to our communities in distress. We are working closely with local government units and other partners to ensure that assistance reaches those in need as quickly as possible,” Cabaya emphasized.

Meanwhile, DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao assured affected LGUs that the agency has ample relief supplies to augment their resources for constituents.

“We have already provided more than Php 2.5 million in relief aid, from the combined resources of DSWD Field Office-9, LGUs, and non-government organizations, to affected families,” Dumlao stated.

To date, DSWD Zamboanga Peninsula has more than P115 million in relief and standby funds readily available for deployment as necessary.