Under the leadership of Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has intensified its disaster operations by strengthening the capacity of its Field Offices (FOs)  in providing augmentation support to the affected local government units and closely coordinating with other concerned agencies to provide immediate attention to the victims of Typhoon Butchoy in Regions III, IV-A, and ARMM, which were the hardest hit areas by the disaster.

“We continue to strengthen our DSWD Field Offices, LGUs,  and concerned agencies to provide immediate relief assistance to the needs of the typhoon victims. Our people on the ground are reaching out to more affected families and are ensuring that no victim will be left behind,” she said.

Sec. Taguiwalo reiterated her call to affected families to report their situations on the ground in order for the Department to respond immediately.

“Huwag po kayong mangiming lumapit sa mga social workers sa inyong lugar at ipagbigay alam kung ano pa ang inyong mga pangangailangan (Do not  ashamed hesitate to ask for help from social workers in your areas),” Sec. Taguiwalo told affected families.

As of 5PM of 10 July,  there are 127 families or 563 persons inside 16 evacuation centers set up by LGUs in the affected areas in Bataan, Zambales, Batangas, Rizal, and Maguindanao.  Likewise, some 14,097 families or 70,663 persons who are outside evacuation centers are also provided with relief supplies.

DSWD-FOs in these regions continue to assist LGUs in providing food support, managing the evacuation centers, and in profiling the evacuees.

DSWD FO-III has already received 10, 000 additional family food packs, out of the 60,000 family food packs from the National Resource Operations Center (NROC) and is continuously coordinating with concerned agencies for the status of the affected victims and possible support needed by LGUs.

In Region IV-A, the local government of Batangas has already provided relief assistance to the typhoon victims. They are constantly coordinating with the DSWD-FO IV-A for monitoring and other needed actions.

In Maguindanao, the provincial government already provided 90 bags of rice to the affected families through the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (MDRRMO). The DSWD-FO XII, in close coordination with the DSWD-ARMM, has already scheduled to distribute family food packs to the affected families.

Currently, the DSWD’s Disaster Response Assistance and Management Bureau (DReAMB) and Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) are closely coordinating with concerned DSWD Field Offices for close monitoring and immediate provision of additional assistance, if needed. ###