The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) will be signing a Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) for a stronger emergency preparedness and response capacities on Friday (March 14) at the National Resource Operations Center (NROC) in Pasay City.
“As part of the agency’s commitment as the Vice-Chair of the Disaster Response Pillar under the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the DSWD ensures that the government is ready to respond to any disaster. In pursuing this, the Department forges partnerships with stakeholders as part of the government\’s whole of nation approach to
public service delivery,” Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD\’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) said
on Thursday (March 13).
Under the partnership, the DSWD and the IOM will intensify capacity building measures on camp coordination and camp management (CCCM); internally displaced persons’ (IDP) protection; and non-food items’ (NFI) management of national agencies, local government units (LGUs), and other key stakeholders.
The IOM is a member of the United Nations Humanitarian Country Team (UNHCT) and was designated as the DSWD’s co-lead agency of the CCCM and IDP Protection Clusters under the Response and Early Recovery Approach of the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (PDRRM) system.
“The partnership with the IOM is part of the Department’s continuing efforts to find better strategies in disaster response. Together with this international development partner, we aim to ensure that the devastating effects of disasters are mitigated and the needs of the affected families and individuals are adequately responded to,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao, who is also DSWD spokesperson, pointed out.
The DSWD official said the agency and the IOM will build on the gains of previous collaborations in order to capacitate LGUs, other stakeholders, and communities in preparing for disasters.
In 2013, the DSWD and the IOM worked together for the implementation of the Bohol Shelter Assistance Project for the families whose houses were damaged by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake; the Zamboanga Response and Early Recovery Projects for the displaced families of the Zamboanga City siege; and the Super Typhoon Yolanda Response and Early Recovery Projects in Eastern Visayas. (GDVF)