• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Tuesday assured that all families affected by the restiveness of Mt. Kanlaon will receive timely assistance from the government until the situation stabilizes.
Gacthalian gave this assurance in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure that food, access to clean water, and other needed assistance would be extended to the affected population.
“Ang DSWD, sa instruction ng ating Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr., ready na mag-supply ng tulong ng pagkain, tubig at iba pang kakailanganin ng (The DSWD, upon the instruction of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., is ready to supply assistance like food, water and other needs for) evacuees as long as they need it,” Gatchalian told local reporters during his visit in an evacuation center in Bago City, Negros Occidental.
On orders of President Marcos, Gatchalian flew to Negros Island early Tuesday morning to personally monitor the agency’s disaster response and check on the condition of the evacuees.
During his visit to an evacuation center in Bago City on December 10, the DSWD chief personally oversaw the distribution of family food packs (FFPs), hygiene kits, and water filtration units to the evacuees.
He also convened a coordination meeting with key provincial and city officials, including Bago City Acting Mayor Ramon Torres, Negros Occidental Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer, Fourth District Board Members Andrew Martin Torres and Joeben Alonso, Fifth District Congressman Dino Yulo, and representatives from various agencies to strategically address the critical situation in Bago City and Negros.
“Kami naman sa ngalan ng DSWD, nakikipagtulungan kami sa inyong local government units (LGUs) para masiguradong may sapat na pagkain, tubig at matutulugan sa evacuation center. Siguraduhin natin na yung mga pangangailangan niyo sa loob ng evacuation center ay matugunan po natin yan (We, on behalf of the DSWD, are working with your local government units (LGUs) to ensure that there is enough food, water and shelter in the evacuation center. Let’s make sure that your needs inside the evacuation center will be met),” Gatchalian said.
The DSWD reported that it has so far extended over P620,000 worth of relief aid consisting of food and non-food items (FNFIs).
Gatchalian reiterated that the department is well-equipped to meet the relief requirements of affected families, citing the prepositioning of 80,000 FFPs in Negros Island ahead of the eruption.
“Tuloy-tuloy ang response efforts natin. Kung matatandaan niyo, lagi nating sinasabi may mga prepositioned goods tayo. So, yun ang gagamitin muna. Pero nagpapadala rin tayo ng re-supply din… right now sa huli nating talaan, nasa more than 2,000 yung (Our response efforts are continuous. If you remember, we always say we have prepositioned goods. So, that will be us) of affected families so we are more than ready to meet the requirements,” he said.
Aside from his visit to the evacuation center, the DSWD chief met with Negros Occidental Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer, Bago City Vice Mayor Ramon Torres, and provincial council members to discuss the ongoing relief operations and coordinate steps for the agency’s augmentation support to LGUs.
Gatchalian was accompanied by DSWD Undersecretary for Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) Diana Rose Cajipe, Field Office (FO) 6-Western Visayas Regional Director Arwin Razon, and FO-7 Central Visayas Director Shalaine Marie Lucero.
The DSWD’s Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) in Mandaue City, Cebu is now busy producing 5,000 family food packs (FFPs) bound for Negros Oriental.
DSWD Field Office 7–Central Visayas Regional Director Shalaine Sun-Lucero reported that on the side of Canlaon City in Negros Oriental, 50 families are currently staying in two evacuation centers after the eruption of Kanlaon Volcano.
This will serve as additional stockpile to the prepositioned FFPs in Guihulngan warehouse in Negros Oriental which is managed by FO-7.* with PNA reports
