Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo assured the public that the Department has enough resources to provide for families affected by flooding incidents due to heavy rain in in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Misamis Oriental in Northern Mindanao.
“We have been monitoring the flooding incidents in Northern Mindanao through our Field Office (FO) in Region X. We want to assure the public that we have enough prepositioned relief supplies, ready to be distributed to the affected families,” said Sec. Taguiwalo.
“DSWD- Field Office X has enough resources to meet the needs of flash-flood affected citizens. It has 3,200 bags of rice prepositioned in Misamis Occidental, Camiguin, Iligan, Bukidnon, as well as 9,000 family food packs and 2,000 dignity kits for affected families in Gingoog ang Logonglong. The Field Office also has standby funds of P7 million for the purchase of emergency relief supplies,” Sec. Taguiwalo said.
“The DSWD is also ready to augment additional relief supplies when needed in order to assist the Local Government Units (LGUs) in assisting affected families. In fact, additional FFPs and Food and Non-Food Items (FNFIs) from the Department are already on standby, ready to be airlifted upon the availability of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) C-130,” the welfare chief added.
“If the field office gives the signal we will deliver these goods, “she said.
Sec. Taguiwalo advised residents in the affected cities and municipalities in the region to heed all warnings that will be issued by their respective LGUs and to evacuate if needed.
“We appeal to the locals to be vigilant and to coordinate closely with the local government to ensure their safety. As in the case with any disaster, our goal is to have zero casualty,” she said.
Preparation is key
Sec. Taguiwalo also endorsed the ideas of Mindanao State University Professor Arnold Alamon, who gas said that there are many lessons to be learned from yesterday’s flooding incident.
“When the trauma of ‘Sendong’ was reawakened in those dangerous hours last night, information on the water levels in the city’s rivers were not readily accessible to the public. Apparently that information is available when the City Mayor was photographed at the city command center looking at a screen detailing the condition of the city’s tributaries. It would have gone a long way in assuring the residents of the city on edge if regular bulletins on the status of the rivers were also released,” he said.
The university professor said model forecasting should be made use in real time in order to make quick decisions about the suspension of work and classes.
“Doppler radar and satellite information provide advance data on the direction and amount of rainfall. These details should be quickly studied and decided upon by the city disaster officials immediately,” he added.
However, Alamon admitted that despite best efforts, no amount of disaster preparedness can resolve what is a basic environmental reality. He said that no novel and massive infrastructure intervention can provide a solution to the recurring problem of flooding and gridlock.
“It takes a natural disaster to expose a social disaster. We are a city bursting at the seams with too much vehicles and people that unbridled and anarchic economic activity brings. The many stalled vehicles in fetid flood waters are evidence of this difficult reality.”
On alert status
DSWD- FO X and concerned LGUs are on alert status to monitor the condition of evacuees.
For any assistance or information on the on-going disaster operations, locals may call DSWD FO X at 09175979573and Oro Rescue at(088) 857-4144and 0917-5592456.
