A total of ₱61,322,007.70 worth of food and non-food items has already been released, as of 4 pm today, by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to augment the resources of local government units (LGUs) as they continue their disaster operations for families affected by Typhoon Ompong.

DSWD Secretary Virginia N. Orogo said that the Department will continue to work with concerned LGUs to determine other interventions that can be provided to the affected families to enable them to return to their normal lives.

“While we continue with our relief operations, it is also important that we are able to come up with appropriate services towards recovery and rehabilitation just to make sure that the affected families especially those who have gone back home will not slide back deeper to poverty,” Sec. Orogo explained.

As of 4 pm today,  only 167 evacuation centers remain open providing temporary shelter to 5,870 families or 21,980 persons.

Some 103, 715 families or 394,129 persons have already returned home.

Continuing relief ops

While there are families that have returned home, DSWD-Field Offices in ‘Ompong’-hit areas continue to assist LGUs in providing relief assistance to them while they are starting to rebuild their lives.

DSWD-Field Office I has an on-going relief operations for persons with disabilities (PWDs), pregnant women, older persons, and other persons with special concerns.

The Field Office  and the LGU of Calasiao also conducted a rapid damage assessment and needs analysis (RDANA) in Brgy. Dinalaoan to determine the type and extent of damages brought about by Typhoon Ompong. It was ascertained during the RDNA in the area that a 71-year-old stroke victim Ramon Puzon who lives in a shanty was heavily affected by the typhoon. FFPs and sleeping kit were immediately provided to him. He was assessed for possible provision of Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA).

Furthermore, PWDs from various barangays received food and non-food items at the Regional Evacuation Center in Calasiao. David Bulario, President of Federation of PWDs in Region 1, commended the government, DSWD in particular, for giving full attention and protection to their needs during calamities.

In CAR, the DSWD Field Office here continues to render round the clock monitoring of affected families in the region especially on the landslide incident in Itogon, Benguet.

DSWD teams were deployed to Ucab, Itogon, Benguet to augment in the relief operations this weekend providing physical and psychosocial assistance in the early recovery of affected families and individuals.

Meanwhile, DSWD-CAR Regional Director Janet Armas thanked those who extended help in their own communities. Her office is still open for in-kind and cash donations.

Accepted food items include (non-perishable, canned goods or read-to-eat food), new clothes, mats, blankets, tents and new kitchen utensils. For individuals and groups who wish to give cash donations, you may visit the DSWD-CAR Office located at #40 North Drive Baguio City to personally hand them in.

In Cagayan Valley, DSWD-Field Office II led the Cagayan Valley Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CV-RDRRMC) Response Cluster Meeting for Typhoon Ompong today, September 22, to tap the assistance of various line agencies and local government units to synchronize their response efforts and come up with unified reports that are accurate and up-to-date.  ###