Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo yesterday received in-kind donations from the Metro Manila Mayors’ Spouses Foundation, Inc. (MMMSFI) intended for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Marawi City and neighboring municipalities who have been affected by the ongoing armed conflict in Lanao Del Sur.

The foundation, led by its President and wife of Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez, Ms. Janet A. Olivarez, donated a total of 495 packs of food and non-food items to the IDPs. Each pack contains canned goods, cup noodles, and other food items, as well as sleeping mats and hygiene kits. The donation has been delivered to the DSWD National Resource Operations Center (NROC) in Pasay City.

Sec. Taguiwalo expressed her gratitude to the Mayors’ spouses foundation during the ceremonial turnover of the donation held at the Department’s Central Office in Batasan, Quezon City.

“We gladly welcome this donation from the Metro Manila Mayors’ Spouses Foundation. This is a big help as our fellow citizens from Marawi, who have been displaced by the armed conflict for more than two months now, need all the assistance that we can provide to help them cope with the difficult situation they are currently in,” she said.

During the turnover ceremony, Sec. Taguiwalo and Undersecretary for Operations and Protective Programs and the Department’s coordinator of its Marawi crisis relief efforts, Hope V. Hervilla, briefed the members of the foundation of the ongoing relief assistance provided by the DSWD to the IDPs. These include the continuous provision of Family Food Packs (FFPs) and non-food items to the evacuees, coordination and management of evacuation camps, and monitoring of the actual number of the IDPs.

Usec. Hope also provided updates on how the Department, together with other national government agencies, is preparing for the early recovery and rehabilitation of Marawi City and other areas affected by the armed conflict.

Meanwhile, DSWD Assistant Secretary for Centers and Institutions and other Special Directives, Lorraine Badoy shared the current state of the Department’s centers and institutions in the National Capital Region (NCR) and how the DSWD plans to work with different organizations to improve their condition.

“We are looking forward to more cooperation and collaboration with you in extending aid for our people, especially the children and the elderly. Again, thank you very much,” Sec. Taguiwalo ended.

Also present during the ceremonial turnover were other MMMSFI officers and members, including Vice President Melissa Oreta of Malabon City; Secretary Tates Gana of Quezon City; Treasurer Edna Calixto of Pasay City; the foundation’s Public Relations Officer and Former Mayor of Pasig City, Maribel Eusebio; Auditor Edna Malapitan of Caloocan City; Mayor Lani Cayetano of Taguig City; Dr. Bambi of Navotas;  and Philippine National Railways Director Noel Prudente.

The Metro Manila Mayors’ Spouses Foundation, Inc. (MMMSFI) is a non-profit, non-stock organization aiming to protect and improve the lives of the residents of Metro Manila, particularly women and children. ###