Agency monitoring 2,511 ‘Rosita’ affected families
THE DEPARTMENT of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the Cordillera continue to monitor victims of Typhoon Rosita.
As of October 31, the agency has been monitoring around 2,511 families with 8,886 individuals who have been affected by the typhoon according to DSWD-CAR OIC regional director Janet Armas.
“Of the families we are monitoring, 1,386 are from Benguet, 518 are from Kalinga, 300 from Apayao, 116 from Mountain Province, 103 from Ifugao and 88 from Abra,” Armas said.
“We are in close coordination with the local government units in monitoring our communities. This is to ensure that their needs will be properly addressed. We, in the DSWD, may not be able to provide all of these, but we would like to assure the public that we will work with other agencies and institutions and try our best to help them,” Armas added.
DSWD-CAR has accounted 2,270 families displaced due to the typhoon with 1,719 families staying inside 142 evacuation centers while 551 families are staying with their friends or relatives.
“Our displaced families have conducted pre-emptive evacuation and we are monitoring them through the local social welfare and development offices and our Social Welfare and Development Teams in the localities,” Armas added.
On October 30, DSWD-CAR personnel visited various evacuation centers to check the situation of the evacuees. Aside from providing food and non-food relief items, the DSWD can also provide psychosocial interventions to the victims.
Meanwhile, DSWDCAR is also closely monitoring the victims in the landslide incident in Natonin, Mountain Province.
“Our personnel in Mountain Province are
working with our partners on ground to provide the necessary interventions. We will provide our services upon the assessment of our social workers,” Armas added.
A total of 12,655 family food packs have been released by the field office as of October 30, to various municipalities which can be distributed to typhoon victims.
Additional 28,710 family food packs is available at the DSWDCAR Warehouse in Puguis, La Trinidad, Benguet for augmentation. The DSWDCAR is also maintaining 321 dignity kits, 1655 family kits, 976 hygiene kits, and 4,530 sleeping kits.
“We would like to ask our communities to closely coordinate with their respective local governments as they are our partners in ensuring that our interventions will reach them. DSWD can also be reached through Municipal Operations Office and SWAD Offices in the areas,” Armas added.