DSWD-7 Disaster Response Management Division (DRMD) Chief Lilibeth Cabiara (far right), along with Donations Management Focal Person Jennifer Quimno (2nd from left) and Regional Resource Operations Section Head Dominic Diola, giving updates on the DSWD-7’s response efforts for the Mt. Kanlaon Alert Level 3 eruption in Canlaon City during the Kapihan sa PIA program on Jan. 28, 2025. (ZCL PIA7 Cebu)
CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) – A total of 25,256 family food packs have been distributed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 7 to support the community kitchens in the evacuation centers where families displaced by the Mt. Kanlaon volcano eruption are staying.
DSWD-7 also extended financial aid under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program, providing P3,000 to displaced families in December 2024 and P2,000 to vulnerable sectors.
According to DSWD-7 Disaster Response Management Division chief Lilibeth Cabiara, DSWD-7 has been providing support to Local Government Units (LGUs) in camp coordination and management, protection of internally displaced persons (IDPs), and distribution of food and non-food items (FNFI).
“Lahat ng mandato ni DSWD is in the form of augmentation dahil ang first line of response is still the LGUs. So, FNFI, we also have the camp coordination and camp management. We provide technical assistance to our LGUs and if there is a need we deploy our camp personnel, just like what happen in Canlaon City to manage the evacuation center,” Cabiara explained during the Kapihan sa PIA program on Jan. 28.
(DSWD’s mandate is in the form of augmentation since the LGUs remain the first line of response. We assist with FNFI, camp coordination, and camp management. We provide technical assistance to LGUs and, if necessary, deploy camp personnel, as we did in Canlaon City, to help manage evacuation centers.)
‘There is food for us daily’
Julieta Alingasa Maligmat, 46, and her family fled Sitio Galung, Barangay Masulog after the Mt. Kanlaon eruption in Canlaon City.
Her family took shelter in one of the evacuation centers where they have been benefiting from the meals and relief goods provided by DSWD-7.
“Nagpasalamat ra mi sa walay puas nga suporta labi na sa DSWD. Wala sad mi naglisod sa among pagkaon, naa ray pagkaon sa matag adlaw namo,” said Maligmat.
(We are grateful for the continued support, especially from DSWD. We are not worried about our food. There is food served for us daily.)
‘Buong Bansa Handa’
During the Kapihan sa PIA program, DSWD-7 Regional Resource Operations Section head Dominic Diola also discussed their preparedness efforts under the government’s “Buong Bansa Handa” program, in collaboration with public and private sectors for FNFI packing and storage.
“Motabang ang LGU thru the provision of repositioning sites kung diin makabutang mi ug food packs para ready nga mahatag sa affected families in case of disaster. Also through partnerships, mas dali among pagpurchase ang mga para food packs,” Diola said.
(The LGU helps by providing repositioning sites where we can store food packs, ensuring they are ready for distribution when needed. Through partnerships, the procurement of food packs is also expedited).
Cabiara noted that since Alert Level 1 was declared in 2022, DSWD-7 has provided technical assistance by reviewing Canlaon City’s contingency plan and training personnel in camp coordination and management for nearly two years in preparation for a possible eruption.
“We helped them establish their evacuation centers in schools and gymnasiums and we continue to review the contingency plan in the regional level. We also trained them how to manage the warehouses,” she added.
During the Mt. Kanlaon eruption on Dec. 9, 2024, nearly 4,730 families—or around 23,637 individuals—were affected across five barangays in Canlaon City.
As of the latest update, 1,214 families remain in evacuation centers, while 893 families are staying with relatives outside the danger zone.
Currently, LGU Canlaon manages eight evacuation centers, down from ten, as some families have relocated to relatives’ homes outside the six-kilometer danger zone.
Cash donations
Meanwhile, DSWD-7 Donations Management focal person Jennifer Quimno reported that Canlaon City has received P2.1 million in cash donations and P23.1 million in in-kind donations.
Technical assistance on fund management and goods assessment has also been provided to the LGU.
“Daghan na ang nagatabang sa Canlaon pero gi-advise jud sa tanan nga i-agi sa check-in sa donations table para macheck and marecord. Naa ra jud moduty didto sa table and naa ra staff sa LGU nga mo-manned didto,” Quimno said.
(Many organizations have stepped in to help Canlaon, but we advise all donations to go through the official donations table for proper checking and recording. There are dedicated staff members from both DSWD and the LGU managing the process.)
For the in-kind donations, especially canned goods, Quimno emphasized the importance of checking expiration dates to ensure longer shelf life and avoiding damaged packaging.
Cabiara reaffirmed DSWD’s commitment to supporting IDPs in Canlaon City, ensuring the continuous distribution of food packs and the facilitation of psychosocial activities for Child and Women-Friendly Spaces, alongside livelihood programs for affected families. (MYP/PIA7 Cebu)
