Davao de Oro needs more food packs

DAVAO de Oro 1st District Rep. Maricar Zamora said on Monday that food packs are needed for people who were indirectly affected by flooding.

The floods have subsided in Davao de Oro but areas have yet to fully recover, the lawmaker said in an interview with “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.”

Zamora said that “as to the floods, they have subsided although almost everyone is still cleaning up, our agricultural areas are still submerged in mud, so we cannot yet say that the areas have fully recovered.”

“The immediate response of our government, of course, was the DSWD food packs. DSWD has been very supportive when it comes to food packs. There were food packs that arrived but our problem is they are not enough because our first basis for the provision of food packs are only those who are directly affected by the flood,” she said.

“We have many indirectly affected countrymen who also need food packs.”

The Manila Times asked Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) spokesman Romel Lopez for comment and said, “We will coordinate with her office or the LGUs in Davao de Oro and will assist po.”

“As a matter of policy, we can also assist indirect victims as long as we get data from the LGU. We will guarantee that this is done as soon as possible as a matter of department policy, as directed by DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian,” Lopez said.

LGU stands for local government units.

In a statement on Monday, the DSWD said that it has extended over P26.9 million worth of humanitarian aid to those affected by torrential rains and floods in some parts of Mindanao.

“Following the instruction of President Marcos to Secretary Rex Gatchalian, the agency has been in constant coordination with the local government units to ensure that the needs of the affected population will be immediately addressed,” Lopez said in the statement.

Lopez said over 41,100 family food packs were distributed to the families affected by weather disturbances in Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental, Agusan del Sur, and Davao City.

“The department also provided sleeping kits and modular tents to the affected families in Compostela town, Davao de Oro,” he said.

According to the statement, Lopez said that Gatchalian met with the local chief executives of Davao Oriental on Saturday before overseeing the relief distribution in a town and inspections of evacuation sites.

“The Secretary flew to the province so he could see firsthand what needs to be done in terms of helping the flood-affected residents of the different localities,” Lopez said.

The DSWD spokesman said Gatchalian, during his visit to the province, assured the affected people that the department would facilitate the release of financial aid for their other needs.

“The DSWD assures that we will continue to supply affected families with food packs, while financial aid will also be extended, following the instructions of President Marcos,” Lopez said.

The statement stated that the DSWD continues to bring relief items to the affected LGUs of Lupon and Governor Generoso towns in Davao Oriental with the help of the Philippine navy and air force.

“Secretary Gatchalian extends his gratitude to these government agencies for providing us with logistical support to move our department’s food packs to areas that have been cut off from the road networks,” Lopez said.

Lopez said that as of February 5, the DSWD has recorded a total of 309,090 affected families or over 1 million people from different areas in Davao, Soccsksargen and Caraga regions.

Lopez said that of these, 108,275 families or some 410,771 people were displaced and were taking temporary shelter in designated evacuation centers and the homes of their relatives or friends.

During the Monday interview with “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon,” Zamora said that data on infrastructure damage in Davao de Oro was being consolidated.

She said that in her own capacity, she was also consolidating data in the five towns in her district. She said there were bridges and flood control projects that were damaged.

Zamora thanked the national government through the DSWD, the Office of the Vice President, the office of House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, and her other fellow lawmakers for their help.

“But of course, we need more help, especially on the rehabilitation stage of our countrymen. Food packs are only for immediate relief but we have a bigger need for agricultural and infrastructure rehabilitation,” she said.