Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Erwin Tulfo canceled the vacation leaves and long weekend plans of the agency's regional directors and staff to focus on tropical storm Paeng relief operations.
This was said on Friday, Oct. 28 at the coordination meeting attended by Tulfo and DSWD Field Offices (FO) regional directors where they presented their respective area's situation and preparedness for the tropical storm.
Tulfo, upon hearing that Regional Director Barry R. Chua from FO Region 4A was in an official business outside the office and would not be able to present, got visibly irked and said that FO directors should have "all hands on deck", especially during calamities and disasters.
"From now on under my watch, 'pag may incoming typhoon, calamity you make sure that all hands on deck. Ang ibig kong sabihin kung may leave ka i-cancel mo muna dahil ako secretary may leave ako kinancel ko. This is not a joke (From now on under my watch, if there is an incoming typhoon and calamity make sure that all hands on deck. What I mean is cancel your leave first if you have any because I, the secretary, have (vacation) leave but I canceled it. This is not a joke)," Tulfo exclaimed.
He added that their job at the agency is not like "a walk in the park" and that the lives and situations of their constituents lie in their hands.
"I just want to remind all the regional directors lalo na po itong dadaanan ng bagyo Region 3, NCR, Region 4, 4A, 5, 6, 7, 12 cancel po ang inyong mga bakasyon kung may bakasyon kayo (I just want to remind all the regional directors, particularly in Regions 3, NCR, 4, 4A, 5, 6, 7, and 12 where the tropical storm will pass through that your vacation is canceled if you have any)," Tulfo said.
Not just the directors but as well as the staff from these FOs are affected by the cancellation of vacation leaves, he added.
The DSWD secretary then advised the officials to recall employees who are already on leave and ask them to report back and stand by at their respective offices this weekend and holidays.
"If there are typhoons like these, calamities, make sure that you are in your AOR. From Cordillera all the way to CARAGA, make na nandyan kayo (make sure that you are there)," Tulfo said referring to the FOs directors.
He also asked the directors to keep themselves informed on the status of "Paeng" and know if it will directly hit their region through newspapers, radio, television, and social media.
Tulfo assured that DSWD has sufficient funds and food supply ready to be disseminated to those who will be affected by the tropical storm.
He added that the agency's National Resource Operations Center in Pasay City and Cebu can produce 25,000 food packs per day.
"Ayoko mangyari 'yung mga previous years na mga tao naglalakad-lakad d'yan wala kami makain ilang araw. I don't want that to happen in this administration, not under my watch (I do not want to repeat what happened in the previous years when people were roaming the streets without any food for days)," he said.