Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary (DSWD) Rex Gatchalian directed the Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) on Wednesday, Sept. 20 to immediately dispatch family food packs (FFPs) and other relief items to flood-affected areas in Mindanao.
The DSWD chief issued the order after receiving a letter from the provincial government of Maguindanao del Sur requesting support and assistance from the department to address the needs of families affected by the massive flooding that occurred in 12 of its municipalities last Sept. 17.
“We need to move fast. Deploy the FFPs in batches,” Gatchalian said as he directed the DRMG to expedite the repacking of FFPs at the Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) in Cebu City.
Based on the letter from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), 38,512 families were in dire need of support and relief aid after their homes and belongings were flooded.
DSWD Field Office 12 (DSWD-FO12) Regional Director Loreto Cabaya Jr. reported to Gatchalian that the DSWD-FO12 has initially delivered 43,000 boxes of food packs to the affected areas in Maguindanao del Sur.
“Kindly provide them with what they need. Then update us if you need augmentation,” Gatchalian told Cabaya.
Cabaya said the DSWD-FO12 has 68,000 FFPs on hand.
“We are working closely with the provincial government to ensure that the affected families receive the assistance they need,” the DSWD chief said.
The DSWD-FO12 regional director also reported massive flooding in the municipalities of Pigcawayan, Midsayap, and Aleosan in Cotabato province on Tuesday evening, Sept. 19.
He also reported flooding in Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat, on Sept. 17, affecting 441 families or 1,399 people, but the regional office did not receive the report until Sept. 19.
Currently, the DSWD-FO12 has at least P80 million in standby and stockpile funds that can be used to provide relief aid to the affected population.
Meanwhile, 34,000 family food packs are ready for distribution at the DSWD field office.