The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has adequate funds and family food packs to augment the resources of the Local Government Units (LGUs) of areas hit by super typhoon Lawin in Regions I, II, III, CAR, CALABARZON, and V.

To date, a total of 24,669 families or 104,242 persons in 461 barangays in the said regions are affected by ‘Lawin’.

Of the total affected, the DSWD recorded 13,828 families or 53,433 persons being displaced. Some 10,606 families or 40,515 persons are currently staying in 331 evacuation centers.

The remaining 2,691 families displaced are said to be staying with their relatives and friends.

Situation/Preparedness Actions

As of October 21, 12AM, the DSWD Field Office 1 DREAMU (Disaster Response and Management Unit) continues to monitor the situation in coordination with the Regional/Provincial/City/Municipal DRRMCs and the SWADs/QUARTs (Social welfare desks and Quick Action Response teams).

The DSWD FO II is sending social workers from the SWAD and DSWD Central Office to provide technical assistance to social workers of affected LGUs to manage existing evacuation centers. It is also conducting rapid assessment simultaneously in Cagayan and Isabela.

FO II has also put up desks for donors, volunteers, and media desks – all to help in the relief distribution at the municipal level and to help in the documentation work at the provincial level.

DSWD-FO Calabarzon has not received yet any report on casualties, partially and totally damaged houses in the region. Barangay Muzon in Taytay, Rizal conducted a pre-emptive evacuation even before Typhoon Karen hit last October 15, but they have not left the evacuation centers up to now because their houses are located in danger zones.

Standby Funds

The DSWD has a total of P745,729,683.18 standby funds available at the Central Office and Field Offices.  Moreover, the Department has 270,514 family food packs amounting to P101,172,696.17 ready to be distributed as needed.

In addition the food packs, DSWD also has stockpile of non-food items amounting to P246,474,063.47, like blankets, mats, etc.

Before the super typhoon made a landfall, the DSWD, through its Field Offices, prepositioned family food packs in strategic locations in all identified regions within the path of ‘Lawin’.

DSWD is now assessing the damage wrought by super typhoon “Lawin” in collaboration with the respective LGUs.  Further, the Quick Response Teams of the DSWD Central Office have been deployed to Region II and other affected areas to assist in the disaster operations.

Show Compassion and Solidarity for those affected

Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo has already mobilized the DSWD staff to ensure that immediate assistance will be provided to the affected LGUs seeking augmentation.  This is to ensure that the basic needs of the affected families will be responded to.

“We keep reporting figures and numbers because we really want to emphasize the urgency of the situation.  Many of our brothers and sisters are experiencing extreme difficulties because of the typhoons and they lives will be altered drastically when all this is over. We want to assure them that the national government will work with LGUs to help them and address their immediate needs at this time; but also we will do what we can to help after the typhoon.”

“We appeal to the rest of the Filipino people to volunteer their time and available resources to help our kababayans affected by Karen and Lawin.  The needs of the affected families in times of disaster are urgent, thus, our response must also be immediate.  True to our thrust of “Maagap at may Kalingang Serbisyo”, we will do our best and exhaust all means in DSWD to expedite the delivery of our service,” Sec. Taguiwalo added. #