The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through its Field Offices (FOs) in Regions X and XII continue to work with concerned local government units (LGUs) in the regions and with DSWD Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) for the continuous provision of assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have been affected by the ongoing armed conflict in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur between government troops and members of the Maute Group and Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

DSWD-FO X continues to distribute family food packs (FFPs) and non-food items to the affected residents who are taking refuge in the various evacuation centers (ECs) in Iligan City, Bacolod, Baloi, and Pantao Ragat. The FO has set up booths in the ECs to ensure prompt response to the needs of the evacuees.

The field office is also conducting a validation of IDPs in various barangays who opted to stay with their relatives and friends rather than in the designated evacuation centers. Social workers from the FO collect their basic profile as reference for interventions.

Likewise, Field Office XII, continues to distribute relief assistance to families from Marawi City who flee to Lanao Del Sur and Cotabato City.

Meanwhile, DSWD FOs VII and CARAGA have sent augmentation support, including FFPs and non-food items such as mats, hygiene kits, solar lamps, blankets, and laminated sacks to DSWD ARMM.

According to the 8AM report of the DSWD- Disaster Response Assistance and Management Bureau (DReAMB), the armed conflict has displaced a total of 12,509 families or 59,665 persons in 26 barangays in Regions X and ARMM. Of which, 1,018 families or 4,278 persons are still taking refuge in 14 evacuation centers set up in Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur; while 10,974 families or 54,870 persons are staying outside the ECs with their relatives or friends.

To date, the Department has provided a total of P1,172,725.00 worth of assistance to the affected families.

Command center

In a phone patch interview aired over DZRH this morning, DReAMB Deputy Bureau Director Caloy Padolina said that the DSWD together with FOs X and XI, DSWD ARMM, and other government agencies, have set up a command center, the Regional Coordination and Operations Center in Iligan City to ensure that “Mabigyan ng maagap at agarang tulong ang ating mga kababayang apektado ng armadong tunggalian sa Marawi (To provide prompt assistance to our countrymen affected by the on-going armed conflict in Marawi).”

“Lahat ng galing sa Marawi ay magpalista upang mabigyan sila ng tulong (All those coming from Marawi should sign up so they could receive immediate aid),” Director Padolina added.

On Saturday, disaster response teams from the FO X and the DSWD Central Office, led by Director Padolina, met with different government agencies during the first inter-agency coordination meeting for the Marawi siege held at Tomas Cabili Gymnasium, Iligan City.

The meeting, which was organized by the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) Iligan City, aimed to set up a unified coordination system among all agencies operating on the ongoing armed conflict. Present were representatives from ARMM Humanitarian Emergency Action and Response Team (HEART), Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) of Marawi City, Philippine National Police (PNP), Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC), Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP), Department of Education (DepEd), AFP, and Red Cross.

Meanwhile, DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo, cleared that while the DSWD is not currently asking for donations, it will gladly receive the aid given by concerned citizens.

“Nililinaw po natin na hindi humihingi ng donations sa kasalukuyan ang DSWD para sa Marawi, pero malugod po naming tatanggapin ang lahat ng pinansyal na tulong para sa ating mga kababayan doon na apektado ng mga operasyong militar (We just want to clear that the DSWD is not currently asking for donations for Marawi, but we will gladly accept all financial help for Filipinos affected by the military operations),” Sec. Taguiwalo explained.

The Secretary also assured that the Department, in coordination with the LGU, will assist both families taking shelter in evacuation centers and those staying with their relatives and friends.

“Nagsimula na po tayong magbigay ng family food packs sa mga home-based internally displaced persons kahapon. Ongoing pa po ito sa 10 barangays ng Iligan hanggang ngayon. Mag-register lamang po sa mga barangay officials para makasama sa masterlist ng LGU (We have already started distributing family food packs to home-based IDPs yesterday. This operation is ongoing in 10 barangays in Iligan until today. We are calling on the affected residents to register to barangay officials in order to be included in the master list of the LGU),” she said. ###