FOOD AID. Personnel from the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Davao Region (DSWD -11) hauls the food packs on Tuesday (Dec. 27, 2022), set to be delivered to Iligan City on Wednesday. The agency prepared 5,000 family food packs for families affected by shear line-induced rains in Region 10. (Photo courtesy of DSWD-11)
DAVAO CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development regional office in Davao (DSWD -11) is set to distribute food packs this week to families affected by shear line-induced rains in Region 10 or Northern Mindanao.
In a Facebook post DSWD-11 said it is preparing 5,000 family food packs (FFPs) to be delivered to Iligan City on Wednesday (Dec. 28).
"The DSWD, as vice chairperson for disaster response under the Response Pillar of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), is mandated to augment food and non-food items to local government units affected by different types of disasters," the statement said.
As of Dec. 27, the NDRRMC reported that the death toll of shear line-induced rainfall, which triggered heavy rains and floods in the Visayas and Mindanao, has climbed to 25.
Still undergoing confirmation are reports of 22 fatalities -- 16 in Region 10 (Northern Mindanao), five in Region 5 (Bicol), and one in Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula).
Reports on two missing persons in Region 10 are also being verified.
Meanwhile, a group of the DSWD officials on Wednesday visited Region 10 to personally supervise the ongoing disaster response operation and lead in the ongoing distribution of relief aid to families and individuals affected by massive floods.
Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, Assistant Secretary Elaine Fallarcuna, and Disaster Response Management Bureau (DRMB) officer-in-charge Michael Cristopher Mathay went to Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental to supervise the provision of financial assistance, family food packs and potable water to an initial of 1,000 families displaced by the floods and heavy rains.
Meanwhile, the department, through the DSWD Field Office (FO) 5 under Director Norman S. Laurio, distributed cash assistance and food packs to each of the families of the missing fishermen, including a lone survivor, in Viga, Catanduanes.
In Eastern Visayas, the DSWD FO 8 (Eastern Visayas) officials under Director Grace Q. Subong, augmented FFPs in the municipalities of Mercedes, Jipapad, Oras, and Taft, Eastern Samar.
As of 12 noon Wednesday, the DSWD has already provided augmentation assistance worth more than PHP10.2 million to local government units (LGUs) in Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula and Northern Mindanao.
The DSWD and its concerned FOs are also continuously repacking FFPs in its various regional warehouses to guarantee the sufficient supply of food items for distribution to affected families.
Based on the latest count, about 18,210 families or 74,214 persons are currently staying in 226 evacuation centers in Regions 10 (NorMin), 11 (Davao), and Caraga, while 14,753 families or 69,208 individuals are temporarily staying with their relatives or friends.
The Department will continue to coordinate with concerned LGUs to monitor the condition of all affected citizens and ensure that all their needs are met. (with reports from Zaldy De Layola/PNA)
