Working group formed to respond to Sendong survivors’ information needs

By Apipa P. Bagumbaran

Tuesday 7th of February 2012

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Feb. 7 (PIA) -- An information and consultation working group has been recently organized to cater to the information needs of individuals displaced by the onslaught of tropical storm Sendong in Northern Mindanao last December.

Members of the working group include the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Interior and Local Government, Commission on Human Rights, Philippine Information Agency, United Nations Children’s Fund, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee, Protection Standby Capacity, and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

In its organization meeting, the group acknowledged the urgent need to implement an information strategy that would provide Sendong survivors with accurate and timely information on issues concerning access to services, entitlements of both formal and informal settlers, relocation plans and sites, geo-hazard zones, and grievance procedure.

The group also agreed to come-up with key messages so that internally displaced persons (IDPs) will get the same information from all sources.

Thus, the working group resolved to carry out the following communication activities: production and dissemination of a weekly bulletin and frequently asked questions from IDPs; training of IDPs as information messengers; putting-up of information board and recommendation/comment boxes at the different evacuation centers and relocation sites; use of radio, television, social media, and text blasting in the dissemination of key messages; and regular issuance of media briefer to update members of the media.

Charmaine Tadlas, DSWD-10 Information Officer and chairperson of the working group, stressed that well-informed IDPs will result to lesser speculations and increase support and affirmation for government services.

Through this communication initiatives and activities, the right information will be brought to the IDPs that will lead to a smoother implementation of the rehabilitation and early recovery programs for the said IDPs, she added. (APB/PIA-10)