DSWD vows adequate food, shelter to Davao

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Sunday assured residents of Davao Oriental of the immediate delivery of food and temporary shelter for families affected by the twin earthquakes on 10 October.

Gatchalian, who flew to Davao, said the relief efforts are in line with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that “no affected family will go hungry.”

“Second, we also discussed the temporary shelter earlier, Secretary Vince Dizon of the Department of Public Works and Highways and I,” Gatchalian said.

“He coordinated with the Philippine Red Cross and we will work with the Red Cross in setting up temporary shelters for families whose homes were damaged and need temporary refuge,” he added.

The DSWD chief said the department has more than 100,000 Family Food Packs (FFPs) prepositioned across various warehouses in the Davao Region. These food packs and non-food items can be distributed immediately by the DSWD Field Office 11.

Gatchalian added that if the Davao Region’s stockpile is depleted, the DSWD will implement its inter-operability system to provide augmentation from other regions.

“There are areas like Caraga, whose stockpile can also be used,” Gatchalian said, noting the region has another 100,000 boxes. “Our offices are interoperable.”

In addition to food and non-food items, the DSWD will also deploy large tents to serve as temporary hospitals following damage to the Manay District Hospital and Davao del Norte Hospital.

“We also discussed with the local government, the provincial government of Davao del Norte, their need for tents,” Gatchalian said. “These are the big tents for the hospitals that sustained minor damage but where they are not allowing patients inside for now.”

The DSWD secretary said the large tents, called Mobile Storage Units (MSUs) and measuring about 33 feet by 105 feet, were being set up in coordination with the World Food Program (WFP).

He said the last two big tents would be deployed by Sunday night to ensure patients “are out of harm’s way.” The Department of Health will deploy medical staff to care for the patients.

Gatchalian gave assurances that the DSWD is capable of responding simultaneously to multiple disasters, citing typhoon efforts in Masbate and separate earthquakes in Cebu and Davao.

“Rest assured that even if they are happening at the same time, we have typhoon efforts in Masbate, we have an earthquake in Cebu, we also have an earthquake here in Davao. The DSWD is very much capable of responding when it comes to the immediate food and shelter requirements, and water requirements of our victims,” he said.