MANILA: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Friday assured displaced families and individuals by the Mt. Kanlaon eruption that more potable water and hygiene kits will be delivered to ensure their basic needs are met.
‘Ang DSWD po ay may ongoing partnership with local water utilities for the supply of potable water. At gayundin po, tayo ay nag-procure ng bottled water na karagdagan para maihatid natin lalung-lalo na po doon sa mga nasa evacuation centers (The DSWD has an ongoing partnership with local water utilities for the supply of potable water. We have also procured additional bottled water so that we can deliver more to those in need, especially to those in the evacuation centers),’ Assistant Secretary for Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) Irene Dumlao said in a radio interview.
The DSWD spokesperson said based on the latest DRMG report, the department already provided humanitarian assistance worth more than PHP2.4 million to the affected localities in Negros Occidental
and Negros Oriental.
‘Pero patuloy pa rin naman po yung koordinasyon natin sa mga local government units (LGUs) nang sa gayon ay makapag hatid pa po tayo ng karagdagang mga family food packs (We are continuously coordinating with the LGUs so that we can deliver more family food packs),’ Dumlao added.
She said the DSWD could also provide cash aid through the Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) Program to help supplement the food and non-food items given to Kanlaon evacuees during the early recovery phase of disaster operations.
‘Kapag kakailanganin ng karagdagang tulong para makapamili iyong ating mga kababayan ng ibang food items to supplement yung tinatanggap nila from the DSWD and the local government units (LGUs) (When additional aid is needed by our affected citizens to buy other food items to supplement what they are receiving from the DSWD and the LGUs), the DSWD could implement the ECT to complement the relief assistance’ she said.
The ECT will be implemented in coordination with LGUs, subject to the ava
ilability of funds, and upon submission of the Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA), the disaster response mechanism that determines the extent of impacts and assess the priority needs of the communities.
2.4K persons affected
In its situation report on Friday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 682 families or 2,479 persons residing in 22 villages have so far been affected by Kanlaon’s unrest in the Western and Central Visayas regions.
Of the total, 361 families or 1,400 individuals are scattered in eight evacuation centers while another 62 families or 364 persons are being aided outside.
The government has so far provided PHP2.74 million in assistance to affected communities.
Meanwhile, agricultural damage from Kanlaon’s eruption has reached PHP1.49 million in Western Visayas.
Source: Philippines News Agency
