The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) joined international partners in a multi-donor support mission in areas hardest hit by the series of typhoons in the Bicol Region last 2024.
Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) and Regional Director Norman Laurio of the agency’s Field Office5~Bicol Region accompaned the dignitaries from the Embassies of Australia, Canada, Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom, as well as officials of the UNICEF and World Food Programme (WFP) in their two-day mission, from March 26 to 27, in Albay province.
“We are grateful to our international partners for holding this mission to help the people of Albay recover from the devastating impacts of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine and Super Typhoon Pepito. This mission is a good opportunity to learn from each other to improve our delivery of social protection programs during disasters, as well as to help build the resilience of poor communities from environmental shocks,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao, who is also the DSWD’s spokesperson, said on Sunday (March 30).
On the first day of the mission, the delegates visited the municipality of Oas to observe the special Family Development Sessions (FDS) for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries that focused on resilience-building and proper nutrition.
They also witnessed how a number of 4Ps beneficiaries utilized their emergency cash transfer assistance when they did marketing at a nearby local public market after attending the family development session.
The delegation also inspected various WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) sites in selected child development centers and schools and interacted with the locals.
The second day of the mission focused on improving disaster preparedness and response efforts through an inspection of the agency’s mobile command center (MCC) and a visit in one of the agency’s mobile storage units, which was under a loan agreement with the DSWD and WFP.
The DSWD officials also held a meeting with the international partners before their flight back to Manila to discuss ongoing relief efforts and possible areas for collaboration to improve disaster response operations in Bicol.
The activity was attended by Mr. Peter Adams, Counsellor (Development), Ms. Sarah Spencer, First Secretary (Development), and Ms. Ariana Santoalla, Senior Program Officer from the Embassy of Australia; Mr. John Lok, Counsellor from the Embassy of Canada; Ms. Jeongbin Lee, First Secretary, from the Embassy of the Republic of Korea; and, Mr. Andrew Bowes, First Counsellor (Political) from the Embassy of the United Kingdom.
Also present were WFP Country Director Regis Chapman, WFP Head of Emergency Preparedness and Response Hannes Goegele, and UNICEF Philippines Ad Interim Country Representative Behzad Noubary. (AKDL)