Amid the arrival of new Typhoon Helen,  the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) continues to augment resources to Typhoon Ferdie victims in Batanes Group of Islands.

During the weekend, two relief operations were conducted to provide additional resources to affected families and to prepare them for the possible onslaught of the new typhoon.

Last September 24, the DSWD Disaster Response Assistance and Management Bureau (DReAMB) flew to Basco via commercial cargo plane to deliver two satellite phones, eight boxes of candles containing 200 pieces per box, and 13 boxes of ready-to-eat food (RTEF) brown rice bars containing 280 pieces per box.

It also prepositioned emergency telecommunications equipment (satellite phones) in the province  in collaboration with Smart Communications.

On the following day, September 25, a C295 plane airlifted an additional 5,600 pieces Ready to Eat brown rice bars, 4,000 pieces of candles, 1,440 bottles of 330ml drinking water, ten rolls of nylon ropes and 2 generator sets in Itbayat.

Moreover, DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo continues to urge citizens to remain vigilant and to coordinate with their local government and other concerned agencies due to the possible impact of the inclement weather, most especially in Batanes area where  Public Storm Signal No. 2 is hoisted.

“The Department will continue to be on standby and monitor the situation of our kababayans who are affected by the typhoon. In the meantime, we encourage the citizens to remain alert and to continue to report their situation to local authorities and DSWD- Field Offices so that we can promptly respond to your needs,” said Sec. Taguiwalo.

“With every natural calamity we experience, we learn how to develop and strengthen our resilience and improve our ways of conducting relief and rescue assistance to the local government units and to affected members of the public at large,” she added.

“Developing resilience is a community endeavor that is national in scope. All Filipinos even children of school-going age should be taught about dealing with disasters  and calamities so awareness and skills on how to cope with the same becomes second nature to them as they grow up. In the end, we are all affected by calamities and our responses should be united and collective so we can recover from their effects as soon as possible and to minimize loss of life and damage to property,” she said. ###