The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) today will accept from the Government of the Russian Federation in-kind donations intended for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by the series of disasters that hit the country, including the armed conflict in Marawi City, Tropical Depression Urduja, Severe Tropical Storm Vinta, and the recent Tropical Depression Agaton.

DSWD Undersecretary for Legislative Liaison Affairs and Special Presidential Directives in the Mindanao Region, Luzviminda Ilagan will accept the humanitarian aid on behalf of the agency from His Excellency Mr. Igor Anatolyevich Khovaev, the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Philippines and Honorable Mr. Igor Veselov, the Acting Director-General of the Department of International Activity of The Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters in a ceremonial turnover at the DSWD Warehouse in Dalipuga, Iligan City.

Usec. Ilagan will accept the donations together with DSWD Field Office (FO) X Regional Director Nestor B. Ramos and FO XII Regional Director Zorahayda Taha, who are on top of the disaster relief operations in Northern Mindanao and SOCSKSARGEN Regions, respectively.

Also joining the turnover ceremony are Task Force Bangon Marawi Field Office Manager and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Assistant Secretary Felix Castro Jr., Marawi City Mayor Majul Gandamra, and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Ernesto C. Abella.

“We welcome the Russian Federation’s support to our efforts to respond to the needs of IDPs of various disasters, especially those affected by Marawi crisis. The assistance will be very important to so many who have lost their homes and sources of livelihood because of the five-month-old armed conflict. Russia’s assistance will also benefit those displaced by ‘Vinta,’ who also lost everything due to severe flooding and landslides caused by the tropical storm. The donated goods will augment the relief items that we provide to displaced families and offer a variety of relief supplies to the affected individuals,” stated Usec. Ilagan.

The first batch of the donations, which arrived on January 3, includes one van containing 500 bags of rice; while the second batch, which arrived on January 9, consists of three vans (1,500 bags) of rice, five vans (2,460 bags) of sugar, four refrigerated vans (208,035 cans) of canned milk, and four refrigerated vans (130,815 cans of 338 grams and 103,968 cans of 325 grams) of canned meat or beef stew. The third batch of donations arrived on January 13 consisting of four vans containing 2,955 pieces of sawn softwood.

According to DSWD Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Emmanuel A. Leyco, the aid will further boost the ties between the Philippines and Russia.

“The aid is a proof that international solidarity continues to prosper between the Philippine government and the Russian Federation,” OIC Leyco said.

“Rest assured that the donated goods, coursed through the DSWD, will reach the intended beneficiaries. We will do our best to facilitate the immediate allocation and distribution of the goods to the affected families,” he added.  ###