The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through its Disaster Response Assistance and Management Bureau (DReAMB) is now on red alert status as it provides 24-hour monitoring of the magnitude 6.7 earthquake that occurred in Surigao City, Surigao del Norte last night.
Likewise, being the chair of the Response Cluster of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the DSWD has activated its Quick Response Team (QRT) at the Regional Level and its Social Welfare and Development (SWAD) Teams at the provincial level to provide technical assistance and resource augmentation to the disaster operations of the Provincial and City LGUs.
A total of 28 barangays in Surigao City, Mainit, San Francisco, and Sison have been affected by the tremor. The DSWD-Field Office CARAGA is currently validating the total number of affected families and persons.
In a report this morning to DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, DSWD-CARAGA Regional Director Mita Lim said that she together with the regional disaster focal person for disaster response had a meeting with Surigao City Vice Mayor Casurra to discuss the effects of the earthquake. She added that upon request of the city LGU, the DSWD-Field Office has already prepositioned 900 food packs in Surigao City.
Dir. Lim also reported to Sec. Taguiwalo that she had an ocular visit in Barangays Nueva and Taft. She added that all Field Office Staff including Pantawid Pamilya City, Provincial and Municipal Links were assigned to conduct rapid assessment of damaged houses.
To date, 326 houses were reported damaged of which, 8 were totally damaged, while 318 were partially damaged.
Status of prepositioned resources
The DSWD Central Office (CO), Field Office (FO) CARAGA, and National Resource Operations Center (NROC) have a total stockpiles and standby funds amounting to ₱1,608,152,843.65 with breakdown as follows:
- Stockpiles
There is a total of 109,501 Family Food Packs amounting to ₱42,288,535.84 and available Food and Non-Food Items amounting to ₱124,055,601.88.
- Standby Funds
There is also a total of ₱1,441,808,705.93 standby funds at the CO and FO. Of the said amount, ₱1,438,912,784.02 is the available Quick Response Fund at the CO.
The Field Office has facilitated with a water company for the delivery today of 2,500 gallons of water to Brgy Taft, Surigao City where there is the most number of damaged houses and residents opted to stay on the streets.
DSWD Sec. Taguiwalo once again reiterated her call for residents to remain calm and be attentive to warnings and advisories from their local authorities. ###
