DSWD assures food, shelter aid for Davao quake victims

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Sunday assured residents of Davao Oriental that the agency is fully prepared to deliver food packs and temporary shelters to families affected by the 10 October twin earthquakes.

“So pagdating sa pagkain, alinsunod sa utos ng Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., walang pamilyang apektado ang magugutom, sisiguraduhin nya ho iyon. Pangawala, pinag-usapan din namin kanina yung temporary shelter, kami ni (DPWH) Sec. Vince (Dizon). Nakipag-ugnayan sya sa Philippine Red Cross at pagtutulungan namin ng Red Cross yung pagtatayo ng mga temporary shelter para sa mga pamilya na nasira ang bahay at kakailanganin ng pansamantalang matutuluyan,” Gatchalian, who flew to Davao, said.

According to Gatchalian, the DSWD has over 100,000 boxes of family food packs (FFPs) prepositioned in warehouses across the Davao Region. These, along with non-food items (NFIs), can be distributed immediately by DSWD Field Office 11 – Davao Region to affected residents.

He added that if the stockpile in the region is depleted, the DSWD’s inter-operability system will allow other field offices to send augmentation assistance.

“May mga areas like sa Caraga, na pwede rin namang gamitin yung stockpile nila doon. That's another hundred thousand kung may kailangan pa ulit dito sa Davao Region, interoperable yung mga offices namin,” the DSWD chief pointed out.

Gatchalian said the DSWD will also set up giant tents to serve as temporary hospitals after the Manay District Hospital and Davao del Norte Hospital sustained damage during the quake.

“Napag-usapan din namin ng local government, ng provincial government ng Davao del Norte yung need nila for tents, these are the big tents na para sa mga ospital na may nasustain na minor damages pero hindi muna nila pinapasok ang mga pasyente. Those tents have been deployed and then the last two big ones will be deployed by tonight para sigurado na yung mga pasyente natin is out of harm's way at hindi naka-expose sa elements,” Gatchalian said.

The Mobile Storage Units (MSUs), measuring 10 x 32 meters, are being deployed in coordination with the World Food Programme (WFP), while the Department of Health (DOH) will assign medical personnel to care for patients temporarily relocated to these facilities.

“Rest assured na kahit na sabay-sabay na nangyayari, mayroon tayong typhoon efforts sa Masbate, meron tayong earthquake sa Cebu, mayroon din tayong earthquake dito sa Davao. Kayang-kaya ng DSWD na mag-respond when it comes to the immediate food and shelter requirements, and water requirements of our victims,” Gatchalian added.