The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Negros Island Region (DSWD-NIR) will establish a warehouse for the prepositioning of food and non-food items in the sixth district of Negros Occidental.
In a report July 22, the Disaster Response Management Division (DRMD) said the team, led by officer-in-charge Chief Beverly Salazar, inspected the proposed warehouse in the municipality of Candoni on Monday.
They also paid courtesy visits to the cities of Kabankalan, Himamaylan, and La Carlota, which are among the local government units (LGUs) hit by floods in central and southern Negros due to monsoon rains last week.
“DSWD-NIR remains steadfast in enhancing local disaster response capacity and ensuring immediate assistance reaches affected families,” the DRMD said.
Meanwhile, the distribution of family food packs continued in southern Negros yesterday for affected residents in Valladolid, San Enrique, Ilog, Pontevedra, Isabela, and Binalbagan.
Data from the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council-NIR showed that 44,378 families, or 166,335 persons in Negros Occidental, were affected by the continuous rains and floods.
At least 1,287 families, or 4,802 persons who stayed in 40 evacuation centers, were provided relief assistance, while 9,111 families or 44,680 persons staying outside evacuation centers were also assisted.
Mostly affected are the LGUs located in the fifth district, including Hinigaran, Binalbagan, Isabela, Moises Padilla, and Himamaylan City; as well as in the sixth district’s Ilog, Cauayan, Candoni, Hinoba-an, Kabankalan City, and Sipalay City.
Assistance provided by the DSWD and the LGUs to affected residents has amounted to P13.26 million, as of July 22, the RDRRMC-NIR said as per report from the Philippine News Agency.
Meanwhile, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said there is no politics in aid distribution and concerned field offices are ready to assist them in responding to the needs of their constituents.
He said that, as the first line of responders, LGUs should ensure that disaster-related efforts, from preemptive evacuation to the restoration of their constituents’ livelihood, are effectively and efficiently performed.
The Local Government Code stipulates that LGUs have the responsibility to undertake rescue operations, provide immediate relief assistance, and setup and manage evacuation centers at the first instance of disaster.
The DSWD, on the other hand, provides augmentation support in terms of food and non-food items as well as technical assistance in the management of evacuation centers, especially in large-scale disasters.
Gatchalian said the DSWD has, so far, catered to the request of the different LGUs for resource augmentation.
He also reminded residents to continue to coordinate with their respective LGUs to prevent untoward incidents, especially with Tropical Depression “Dante” and a Low Pressure Area being monitored inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, and another LPA outside the PAR, also with “medium” potential of developing into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours. ||
