The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) extends its heartfelt gratitude to volunteers who responded to its call for help to repack relief goods at the Department’s National Resource Operations Center (NROC) in Chapel Road, Pasay City for the affected families of recent disasters that hit the country.

“We thank everyone who volunteered their time and energy to help us repack relief goods to be distributed to disaster victims. Your time is the most precious gift you have given those in need this holiday season,” DSWD Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Emmanuel A. Leyco said.

The relief goods will be distributed to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) of Marawi siege as well as to families affected by Tropical Depression Urduja and recent Severe Tropical Storm Vinta.

Both ‘Urduja’ and ‘Vinta’ caused heavy flooding and landslides in the Visayas and Mindanao regions that displaced thousands of individuals.

“The DSWD has a mechanized production system which automates and streamlines the production of family food packs (FFPs), but since we need to continuously respond to the needs of hundreds of thousands of families affected by the series of calamities that struck the country, we have to augment the production of our relief resources through manual repacking,” OIC Leyco explained.

According to Ms. Sophie Mendiola of the Production Management Division of NROC, the number of volunteers arriving at the warehouse to help in the repacking activities averages 600 persons a day. On December 26, the DSWD was able to produce 41,600 FFPs with their help.

The DSWD targets to produce 80,000 FFPs a day for its relief operation. It is continuously calling for additional volunteers to help reach its target.

“We are still calling for volunteers to help us in our repacking activities. Right now, we are in need of night shift volunteers who will render their time within 8:00 PM to 8:00 AM,” OIC Leyco said.

Interested groups and individuals may coordinate with Ms. Mendiola at landline number 553-9864 and at mobile number 09307669595.

Update on ‘Vinta’ evacuees

As of the latest report of the DSWD Disaster Response Assistance and Management Bureau (DReAMB), 21,884 families or 106,758 persons are still staying in 192 evacuation centers in Regions MIMAROPA, IX, X, XI, XII, and ARMM due to ‘Vinta.’

Most of the open evacuations are located in the Davao Region with 10,810 families or 51,415 individuals; Northern Mindanao with 4,825 families or 23,971 individuals; and Zamboanga Peninsula with 3,490 families or 17,367 persons.

Some 5,303 families or 26,192 individuals are still staying with their families and friends in Regions IX, X, XI, and XII.

A total of P16,392,250 worth of assistance has been provided to affected families and individuals; of which, P11,560,510.00 came from DSWD, while P4,831,740 was provided by the LGUs.

The DSWD continues to coordinate with the local government units of the affected cities and municipalities to monitor the status of families who are still staying in the evacuation centers for the provision of relief assistance. ###