The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has extended assistance to families affected by recent Tropical Storms Ineng and Jenny, which entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on August 21, and August 26, 2019, respectively, affecting the Ilocos Region.

On August 26, DSWD Secretary Rolando Joselito D. Bautista personally visited families affected by ‘Ineng’ and led the provision of assistance to residents of Barangays 34-A, 34-B, and 35 in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. 

The Secretary also met with Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew J. Marcos Manotoc and Office of the Civil Defense Region I Director Melchito Castro to discuss how DSWD could further assist the local government in responding to the needs of the affected residents.

Likewise, on August 28, Sec. Bautista went to DSWD Field Office (FO) I in San Fernando, La Union to oversee the relief operations for the affected families and to meet with local officials to discuss the damage caused by the recent tropical storms. To date, the FO has distributed 1,000 Family Food Packs (FFPs) in Pangasinan and 2,461 in Ilocos Norte. Additional 5,000 food packs from the DSWD National Resource and Logistics Management Bureau (NRLMB) will be transported to Ilocos Norte.

To maintain stockpile of relief goods, volunteers have flocked to DSWD FO I Regional Warehouse to help in the repacking of FFPs.

Under the Local Government Code, LGUs are the first responders before, during, and after a disaster. They are primarily responsible for disaster preparedness, mitigation, and response.

DSWD, meanwhile, augments the resources of the LGUs as needed to respond to the needs/requirements of the affected families and individuals. -30-