DSWD vows sustained support as Marcos visits quake victims in Davao Oriental

DSWD vows sustained support as Marcos visits quake victims in Davao Oriental | Daily Tribune

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Tuesday led the delivery of another wave of relief assistance to families affected by the recent 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Davao Oriental.

Gatchalian, who accompanied the President during his visit to evacuation centers in Tarragona town, said the national government will continue extending support until all disaster-stricken families can fully recover.

He reported that about 255 families temporarily housed at evacuation centers in Barangay Central and the Tarragona Municipal Grounds received family food packs (FFPs) from DSWD’s Field Office 11 – Davao Region.

In addition, 35 families were granted ₱10,000 in cash aid each to help them rebuild their lives after the series of strong tremors that rocked the province.

President Marcos also held a situation briefing with local officials, assuring them that the national government will pool all interventions and resources to address the ongoing needs of affected families.

According to the Disaster Response Management Bureau (DRMB), the DSWD has so far distributed over ₱37 million worth of aid as of October 12, which includes 36,988 family food packs, 5,218 ready-to-eat food (RTEF) boxes, and 2,794 non-food items.

RTEF boxes, Gatchalian explained, are being used to support food rations for hospitals whose operations were disrupted by the twin quakes. The DSWD is also providing modular tents for families unable to return home due to damaged structures and Modular Storage Units (MSUs) for hospitals that have temporarily relocated their operations to open areas.

Amid the series of disasters affecting various regions in the country, Gatchalian reaffirmed the DSWD’s commitment to sustained disaster response and recovery efforts, particularly for quake-hit communities in Davao Oriental.

“We will continue to work hand in hand with local officials to bring immediate relief and help Davaoeños recover from the devastating impact of the earthquake,” he said.