VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur (PIA) – Consistent with its mandate to address the needs of the disaster-affected population, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the Ilocos Region continues to carry out activities related to all phases of disaster response.
To benefit 50 indigent residents of Sigay town, one of the geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA) and disaster-prone areas in Ilocos Sur province, personnel from the DSWD Field Office 1 conducted an information caravan along with a food-for-training program as part of their activities to mark National Disaster Resilience Month.
DSWD Regional Information Officer Kristine Sheila Amoroso said that they conducted the activity in Sigay town because it has one of the highest numbers of poor households in the region, with 50 classified as poor out of the 549 households they assessed.
“The beneficiaries underwent training on family disaster preparedness, which aimed to teach them what to do before, during, and after any disasters,” Amoroso said in an interview with the Philippine Information Agency.
Additionally, in coordination with the local government unit of Sigay, the DSWD organized a focus group discussion where participants’ questions were addressed, and the Municipal Health Office conducted free medical check-ups for the participants.
Each participant also received a family food pack and P3,000 in financial assistance under the Department’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program.
“Kumapsot iti taon ken narigat met agbyahe ta nangato iti lugarmi. Isu agyamanak ti DSWD ta dinanon ken nailak-am kami ti pagsayaatan nga naipaay kadakami. Mayat daytoy nga aktibidad lalo kanyak nga agmaymaysa ta nai-eksplekar pay nu anya ti maisagana ken maaramid nu adda didigra,” said Alfredo Buyonen, a 90-year-old recipient.
(I am getting old and the road is difficult because our place is high. So I am grateful to the DSWD because they helped us bring government programs and services closer to us. This activity was important, especially to me alone, because it explained to us the preparedness in case of a disaster.)
In Caoayan town, the DSWD provided additional aid to five families affected by recent house fires.
The DSWD distributed essential supplies such as family food packs, hygiene kits, family kits, kitchen kits, sleeping kits, laminated sacks, and financial assistance totaling P113,013.20 through its AICS program recently.
The DSWD reported that since January 2024, 144 families in the Ilocos Region have been impacted by fires, resulting in a total damage cost of P18,661,187.43.
This underscores the ongoing need for support and resources for fire-affected communities in the region.
Lolen Adviento, social worker of Caoayan, thanked the DSWD for its prompt response to their request for additional aid for the fire victims.
She said, “The local government unit of Caoayan, llocos Sur extends its heartfelt gratitude for the assistance provided by DSWD Field Office 1, through the Disaster Response Management Division, to the families affected by the fire, specifically the Narcida and Raciles families. Your continuous support of our dear constituents will significantly impact their lives positively.”
The DSWD reminds the public that the local and provincial governments are the first to assist during calamities.
“Hinihikayat [ng DSWD] ang bawat isa na kung sakaling makaranas ng krisis ay agad itong ipagbigay-alam sa barangay o sa munisipyo upang mabigyan ng karampatang tulong base sa assessment ng pangangailangan,” it said in a statement.
([The DSWD] encourages everyone that if they experience a crisis, they should immediately notify the barangay or the municipality so that appropriate assistance can be provided based on the assessment of needs.) (AMB/JMCQ, PIA Ilocos Sur)
