The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and its Field Offices (FOs) continue to augment additional family food pack (FFPs) and non-food items to Regions X and XII to ensure the sufficiency of relief aid for families affected by the still ongoing armed conflict in Marawi City, Lanao Del Sur who evacuated to nearby provinces.

Additional 10,000 FFPs from DSWD FO CARAGA were delivered this morning to the provincial hub of Lanao del Norte in the town of Linamon for distribution to families seeking refuge in evacuation centers (ECs) in Iligan City and other municipalities in the region.

The DSWD Central Office through the National Resource Operations Center (NROC), on the other hand, has sent a total of 3, 600 food packs; 9, 910 high-energy biscuits; and 5, 000 packs of nutria-del cereal to Iligan. The augmentation support was unloaded at Iligan City Port yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Department’s Field Office in Region VII is sending additional 15,000 hygiene kits for evacuees in FO X.

As of 6AM today, the DSWD-Disaster Response Assistance and Management Bureau (DReAMB) reported that a total of 20,049 families or 100,530 persons have been affected by the armed conflict in Marawi. Some 3,026 families or 14,229 persons are taking shelter in 25 evacuation centers, while 17,023 families or 86,301 persons are staying outside ECs with relatives or friends in Region X (4,759 or 24,981 persons) and ARMM (12,264 families or 61,320 persons).

Breast milk donations and more

DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo continues to call on the public to work hand-in-hand to assist the affected families.

“Kung nakatira kayo sa Iligan, Cagayan de Oro, o Cotabato City at malapit sa mga evacuation centers, maaring magdala doon ng tulong o kung kaya, magpatuloy sa inyong tahanan ng evacuees, kahit iyon lang mga buntis, nanay na may kasamang maliliit na bata, at mga senior citizens (If you are living in Iligan, Cagayan De Oro, or Cotabato City, you can bring your donations directly to the identified evacuation centers, or better yet, open your house to the displaced families, especially those who are  most vulnerable, including pregnant women, women with their small children, and senior citizens),” Sec. Taguiwalo said.

“Ang mga nanay naman na kayang magbigay ng breastmilk ay maari ring magdonate sa mga nanay sa evacuation centers dahil marami sa kanila ay nagpapasuso pa at nahihirapan dahil sa pagod at pag-aalala (Women who can give breastmilk may also donate to those in the evacuation centers, as many of the breastfeeding mothers are having a hard time producing milk due to stress),” she added.

To provide the needs of infants and toddlers as well as breastfeeding mothers in the evacuation centers, the public is encouraged to donate cup feeders or those small measuring cups that come free with medicines for children, milk storage bags, breast pumps, wet wipes, diapers, sanitary napkins, alcohol, and oral rehydration salts.

The public may also donate baby clothes, face towels, malong, biscuits for children, and vitamin A for breastfeeding mothers.

To create child-friendly spaces, donors are also encouraged to give curtains, rubber mats where kids may play, and toys (except those that resemble pigs).

On the other hand, local cash donations can be deposited to bank account number 3122-1011-84 with the account name, DSWD Donation, at Land Bank of the Philippines, Batasan Branch, Constitution Hills, Quezon City.

Foreign cash donations can be deposited to bank account number 3124-0055-81 with account name DSWD FOREIGN DONATION and swift code TLBPPHMMXXX, while peso cash donations can be deposited to bank account number 3122-1011-84 with account name DSWD DONATION at Land Bank of the Philippines, Batasan Branch, Constitution Hills, Quezon City.

Donors should notify DSWD-Finance Management Service (FMS)/ Cash Division (CD) of their donation through phone or email. Kindly send the validated deposit slip together with your information (name, nationality, and address) to finance@dswd.gov.ph and cash@dswd.gov.ph or fax to 931-8127.

For food and non-food items from the National Capital Region (NCR), send the donations to the DSWD NROC at Chapel Road, Pasay City, Metro Manila with telephone number (02) 511 1259. NROC is open Mondays to Fridays from 6AM to 6PM.

For interested donors from Mindanao, send the donations to the DSWD Field Office in Region X located at Masterson Ave., Upper Carmen 9000 Cagayan de Oro City with telephone numbers (88) 858-8134 and 858-6333 or at Field Office XII located at Poblacion, Koronadal City, South Cotabato with telephone number (083) 228 6080. ###