TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assured the allocation of a total of 70,195 family food packs (FFPs) for the victims of the recent earthquake in Surigao del Sur.
Secretary Rex Gatchalian instructed DSWD Caraga Regional Director Mari-Flor Dollaga-Libang to immediately coordinate with the provincial government through Governor Alexander T. Pimentel during his visit to Tandag City on December 4.
“Madiin ang instruction ng Presidente sa akin, na makigpag coordinate sa province, at siguraduhing lahat po ng tulong na kailangan ninyo ay ma-extend po namin [The President instructed me to coordinate with the provincial government and ensure that the national government extends all the help that you need],” the secretary shared.
11,188 family foods were immediately deployed to the towns of Hinatuan, Cortes and Bislig City, as initially identified as badly hit by the earthquake on December 2, 2023. (Photo courtesy to DSWD- Caraga)
The magnitude 7.4 earthquake that jolted Surigao del Sur on December 2 affected a total of 70,195 families, with two casualties from Bislig City and Barobo and five more injuries from Tandag City and the town of Tagbina.
In addition, the secretary convened with Governor Alexander T. Pimentel, who is the chairperson of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) of Surigao del Sur, and the local chief executives of the 19 LGUs in the province and discussed the extent of the damage from the earthquake and the programs and resources in place for response, recovery, and rehabilitation, among others.
Surigao del Sur PDRRMC conducted an emergency meeting and briefing with DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian on December 4 to address the aftermath of the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that hit the province on December 2. (Photo: PIA-SDS)
In the emergency meeting, DSWD – Caraga, as lead of the Disaster Response Cluster of the Caraga Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC), further disclosed that some areas of the province have prepositioned 22,434 FFPS with a total cost of P15,535,744.30, which are available in the warehouses of the following areas:
o Barobo – 998;
o Carrascal – 926;
o Hinatuan -1,027;
o Lianga-1,000;
o Lingig-1,000;
o Madrid-4,483;
o San Agustin-1,000;
o Provincial Government – 10,000; and
o Satellite Warehouse – 2,000.
Some of these storage places also contained 2,506 prepositioned non-food items, such as family and modular tents. These ready-to-eat food and standby goods could be utilized by the concerned LGUs as well.
Victims of the earthquake in Tandag City with damaged houses received cash assistance from DSWD. (Photo: PIA-SDS)
The significant visit of the national government through the DSWD ended with the distribution of cash assistance under the program Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), as Sec. Gatchalian handed over P10,000 to the bereaved families, an additional P10,000 to two residents of Tandag City with totally damaged houses, and 19 more victims who received P5,000 each with partially damaged houses. (NGPB edited by RLE,PIA-Surigao del Sur)
