DSWD: Advance preparations, swift response, close coordination with other disaster relief agencies key to aiding 'Lawin'-affected Filipinos
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Judy
M. Taguiwalo said that the DSWD and other agencies of the Duterte
administration have been prepared in their response to the emergency situation
created by typhoon Lawin [Haima].
She said that among the
factors that ensured this preparedness are the preemptive evacuations; the
prepositioning of goods; the communications system established and the constant
communication and contact with the municipalities affected by 'Lawin'.
The preparedness efforts were
led by the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) and the Department of Interior and
Local Government (DILG).
“It has to be emphasized that
advanced preparations have been very important—our swift and coordinated
response within the DSWD and with the other agencies under the National
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) is the key to our
efforts to immediately address the needs of Filipinos affected by Typhoon
Lawin. We are attacking and resolving challenges we are now encountering in our
goal to help Filipinos one at a time. The scope of the damage is very wide, and
so are the entire areas affected. We will pursue our efforts to extend
assistance to as many affected Filipinos and their families as fast and as
efficiently as we can,” she said.
Sec. Taguiwalo also stated
that coordination with leaders and units at the regional and ground levels have
also been crucial to efforts. She said that the Regional Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Council was convened immediately after the typhoon
despite the act that information was slow in coming from the localities. The
DSWD was able to give direction to the response clusters and lead them on how
they should work.
“We are improving
as we go and as we see areas of work that are weak and need to be
strengthened. Our conclusion is basic – we at the DSWD must go down to
the field, speak to the people if the steps we are proposing are also what they
need. We have to do this to ensure the validity of our data on which we base
our plans,” she said.
Sec. Taguiwalo also thanked
its partners in the private sector for all their assistance. Among those who
have helped DSWD are the convenience chain 7-11 for providing means
and snack to DSWD personnel and volunteers working in the National Resource
Operations Center, and Maynilad for providing bottled water.
“We also thank the Australian
Embassy for its continuing offer of assistance,” she said.
Assistance to the affected beyond foodpacks
On October 22, Sec. Taguiwalo issued a directive to the
Directors of Field Offices 1, 2, 3 and CAR on emergency shelter assistance
(ESA) for Lawin-affected families. Affected FOs are directed to immediately
provide the following services and interventions to the affected families in
terms of Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) and Cash/Food-for-Work (CFW).
The ESA is the provision of
emergency “self-build” shelter assistance through limited material or financial
assistance to augment resources of affected families so they can buy shelter
materials they need to construct or repair of damage houses partially or
totally destroyed.
CFW provides transitional
support and citizenship building through temporary employment by providing
families cash or food assistance in exchange for participation in community
work either for disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, or early recovery
and rehabilitation. The rate is equivalent to 75% of the regional minimum wage
of the covered regions based on latest government-prescribed rates. The number
of days of engagement is pegged at a maximum of 15, but the number of days for
extension varies based on the work component to be undertaken.
The priority for the CFW
scheme are families with damaged houses; community work may include clearing
debris, repair of damaged shelters, and small-scale community infrastructure.
The maximum of work days for each person is 15 days. The rate is
P214.00/day for CAR; P210 for Region 1; P225.00 for Region II, and P273.00 for
Region III representing 75% of minimum wage rates.
Update on disaster relief assistance provided to areas
affected by Lawin as of 6AM, October 26, 2016.
Number of Affected Families / Persons: To date, there are
302,764 families or 1,352,002 persons affected in 3,097 barangays in Regions
CAR, I, II, III, and V.
Status of Displaced Families
/ Persons: A total of 199,514 families or 873,655 persons were displaced in
Regions CAR, I, II, III, and V; of which, 1,141 families or 4,132 persons are
currently taking shelter in 23 evacuation centers while 5,505 families or
26,981 persons are staying with their relatives and friends.
Damaged Houses: There are a
total of 97,126 damaged houses in Regions CAR, I, II, and III; of which, 84,691
are partially damaged and 12,435 are totally damaged.
Assistance Provided: To date,
a total of ₱34,636,253 worth of relief assistance has been provided
to the affected families. Of the said amount, the Department provided ₱27,844,541; respective LGUs provided a total of ₱6,786,712; while some NGOs provided a total of ₱5,000.
Status of Prepositioned
Resources: Stockpile and Standby Funds: The Central Office (CO), affected Field
Offices (FOs) and National Resource Operations Center (NROC) have a total
stockpile and standby funds amounting to ₱840,551,812.92 with
breakdown as follows:
a. Standby Funds
There are a total of ₱511,522,233.18 standby funds at the CO and FOs. Of the
said amount, ₱495,037,058.87 is the
available Quick Response Fund at the CO.
b. Stockpiles
There is also a total of
256,184 Family Food Packs (FFPs) amounting to ₱97,076,574.35
and available Food and Non-Food Items (FNFIs) amounting to ₱231,953,005.39.
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