PNA
MANILA – On orders of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian arrived in Sorsogon early Tuesday morning to personally assess and monitor the needs of communities affected by the eruption of Mt. Bulusan.
in a situation briefing held at the Sorsogon Province Disaster Response and Risk Reduction Management Council (SPDRRMC) office in Sorsogon City, Gatchalian said President Marcos’ marching orders is for a whole-of-government approach in addressing the needs of all disaster-affected Bicolanos, particularly those residing in the vicinity of Mt. Bulusan.
“We want to make sure that all displaced families are taken care of properly and that the government is present in this time of need,” Gatchalian was quoted as saying in a news release.
He assured the provincial government led by Governor Edwin Hamor, and all local government units (LGUs) that DSWD has enough family food packs (FFPs) and other relief items prepositioned in a number of warehouses under the DSWD’s Field Office 5 in the Bicol Region to supply all families and individuals affected by the Mt. Bulusan eruption.
Based on the report of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Operations Management, Information, and Communication (DROMIC), a total of 15,625 families or 78,184 individuals have been affected by the volcanic activity as of 6 a.m. Tuesday.
“Sa side ng DSWD, pinahiram kami ng provincial government at iba’t ibang local government units (LGUs) dito ng mga warehouse, so naka-prepositioned na tayo. In fact, sa buong Region 5, malalapit lang yung regional warehouses natin (On the side of the DSWD, the provincial government and other LGUs have lent us warehouses, so we are prepositioned. In the whole Bicol region, the regional warehouses are near each other), we have around 180,000 FFPs as we speak,” Gatchalian said.
On the day of the eruption on Monday, the DSWD Field Office 5 completed the delivery of an initial 20,000 boxes of FFPs to the provincial government of Sorsogon for immediate distribution to the affected families, most of whom are seeking temporary shelter in designated evacuation centers.
The Bicol Field Office has also stationed its Mobile Kitchen at the Juban Municipal evacuation center to serve hot meals to over 70 families.
In case of the worst eventualities, Gatchalian said the DSWD is also ready to provide financial assistance as directed by President Marcos.
“In the event na umabot tayo doon, bukod sa FFPs, mandatory sa atin sa utos ng ating Pangulo na mag financial assistance pag kinailangan na, pag humaba, lumala. Alam naman natin na hindi lahat ng pangangailangan ng isang pamilya ay matatagpuan doon sa loob ng food box (In case we reach that point, besides the FFPs, it was also mandated by the President for us to provide financial assistance when the volcanic activity takes longer or when it worsens. Not all the needs of a family can be found in the food box),” he said.
He added the DSWD remains in close coordination with LGUs, concerned national government agencies, and other stakeholders to ensure the systematic and timely delivery of aid to affected communities.
Following the SPDRRMC meeting, Gatchalian visited evacuation centers in the province to ensure that internally displaced persons are safe, comfortable, and receiving adequate provisions such as food, water, hygiene kits, and psychosocial support. (PNA)
