Daily Tribune“We have deployed all the arsenal of the DSWD for the 6.9 earthquake. We have deployed what's in our arsenal to ensure to mitigate the effects at the same time we're responding to the needs in the area,” Asec. Quintilla said.
Photo from DSWD Facebook Page
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) stated that it intensified disaster response operations for families affected by the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu on Tuesday night (September 30), deploying what its senior official described as the agency’s “full arsenal” of relief and recovery support.
During their Thursday Media Forum, Assistant Secretary Leo Quintilla, concurrent Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the DSWD’s National Resource and Logistics Management Bureau (NRLMB), said the department has ensured the delivery of food, water, shelter, and psychosocial services to quake-hit communities, while also preparing for early recovery interventions such as the emergency cash transfer (ECT) program.
“We have deployed all the arsenal of the DSWD for the 6.9 earthquake. We have deployed what's in our arsenal to ensure to mitigate the effects at the same time we're responding to the needs in the area,” Asec. Quintilla said.
Asec. Quintilla pointed out that immediately after the earthquake, the DSWD partnered with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to bring ready-to-eat meals to Bogo City, one of the hardest-hit areas in Northern Cebu.
To ensure that affected areas have access to clean water and food, he cited that the department has deployed their mobile command center (MCC), water filtration trucks, water tankers, and mobile kitchens.
Based on the latest report, at least 4,000 families, or around 20,000 individuals, remain displaced outside evacuation centers as aftershocks continue to hit Cebu. The NRLMB-OIC said the DSWD has released 6,800 FFPs and 2,000 RTEF as an initial response but expects the numbers to rise as relief operations continue.
Apart from immediate relief, the department is providing psychosocial support services to help survivors cope with trauma. Neighboring field offices have sent teams of social workers to assist families in evacuation centers and communities.
Additionally, the DSWD announced that it will provide burial assistance to families whose loved ones were among the fatalities.
