By Jose Cielito Reganit
MANILA – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has deployed a “full arsenal” of relief and recovery support for families affected by the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu Tuesday night.
Assistant Secretary Leo Quintilla, concurrent officer-in-charge (OIC) of the DSWD’s National Resource and Logistics Management Bureau (NRLMB), said the agency 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 our full arsenal to ensure that ma-mitigate [ang effects] at (we mitigate the effects) and the same time we’re responding to the needs in the area,” Quintilla told reporters on Thursday during the DSWD media forum held at the Central Office in Quezon City.
This is in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to immediately reach out to the affected families and exert all efforts to ensure that adequate and appropriate assistance is provided to the affected families, he said.
Quintilla said 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, amid uncertainties over road access.
He cited the presence of the DSWD mobile command center (MCC), water filtration trucks, water tankers, and mobile kitchens in Cebu.
“Nandoon na rin yung aming trucks, water trucks with filtration machines to ensure that there will be available water because affected din yung mga water system because of the earthquake. Nandoon na rin yung aming water filtration kits, nandoon yung food packs namin, nandoon yung ready-to-eat food (RTEF) (Our trucks with filtration machines are there to ensure that there will be available water because the water system was also affected by the earthquake. Our water filtration kits, food packs, ready-to-eat food, they are all there),” he told reporters.
The DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) is also sending 100 family tents and shelter-grade tarpaulins intended for Cebuanos whose houses were destroyed by the powerful temblor.
“As we speak, nagpapadala na tayo ng tents because yun yung pinaka-need ngayon ng mga tao sa labas ng kanilang bahay na hindi pa stable ang mga structures (we are sending tents because that is they are needed by those who are staying outside their homes that have unstable structure). So, family tents and also the sheltered-grade tarpaulins,” he said.
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.
Strategic stockpile in Cebu
Quintilla said the DSWD has released 6,800 family food packs (FFPs) and 2,000 RTEF as initial response, but expects the numbers to go up as relief operations continues.
He assured Cebuanos that relief supplies are adequate, adding the major hubs of the DSWD continue to produce thousands of FFPs.
“To assure the public na nandito yung government ninyo (To assure the people that your government is here) for the entire Cebu province, we have a total of 422,000 food boxes available. Bakit mataas? Because nandoon yung ating Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) sa Cebu. Doon tayo nagpo-produce (Why it’s that high? Because the Visayas Disaster Resource Center is there. That’s where we produce),” he said.
Nationwide, the DSWD has 2.3 million boxes of FFPs prepositioned in hubs, spokes, and last miles across the country.
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.
The DSWD earlier announced that it will provide burial assistance to families whose loved ones were among the fatalities.
The department is also preparing for the rollout of the emergency cash transfer (ECT) program as part of its early recovery strategy.
“Aside from immediate response, the department is also preparing for the emergency cash transfer. The ECT is our program for early recovery. Pag cash kasi, medyo flexible siya. Pwede mong ibili ng pang-bubong, pwede mong pambili ng pagkain (Cash is flexible. One can but roofing material or food),” Quintilla said.
Despite the current focus on intensified operations in Cebu, he said the DSWD conducts simultaneous disaster relief and response operations to respond to those affected by tropical cyclones Opong and Nanding. (PNA)
