Zamboanga City — A total of P92.22 million worth of assistance has been provided to the Zambo evacuees as of September 27, 2013.  The said assistance is composed of P88.88million in food assistance, P2.79 million in non-food items, P302,750 in financial assistance and P247,500 for the cash-for-work program provided in more than two weeks to augment the resources of Zamboanga City Local Government Unit.

Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman said that relief operations will continue with the provision of assistance to the needs of the families affected by the armed conflict staying inside and outside the evacuation centers.

She further stated that the DSWD and City LGU are now on its transition stage in the provision of food for the families still staying in evacuation centers totaling to 18,225 families or 101,131 persons.  Secretary Soliman emphasized that “as part of the transition, some evacuees are given the chance to cook the food they want to eat with the DSWD providing the supplies.  Community kitchens are also being set up in preparation for the gradual shift from the provision of cooked foods, to giving the evacuees the opportunity to cook their own food.”

The Secretary further added that “the affected Badjaos who are staying along Cawa-Cawa shoreline have articulated their preference to eat their staple food; hence, our social workers have provided them with cassava and dried fish.”

In consideration of the special needs of women and children, DSWD also set up special Day Care Centers and Child and Women-Friendly Spaces in the evacuation centers.  As of September 26, a total of 2,945 children were provided with supplemental feeding and engaged with Supervised Neighborhood Play.

The provision of psychosocial and critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) interventions also continue.  To date, DSWD professional staff debriefed a total of 1,178 evacuees and 193 released hostages who were eventually reunited with their families.   Further, TESDA set up a massage therapy center at the Skills Training Tent to conduct massage sessions and beads making.

Towards rebuilding Zamboanga City, the Department is also preparing for the rehabilitation stage of the disaster operations.  A rehabilitation plan has been drafted amounting to P3.89 billion which includes the relocation, housing, shelter, livelihood, and other assistance for the affected families.  Secretary Soliman said the plan has been submitted to the Office of the President and the Department of Budget and Management for funding considerations.

In a recent press briefing, Zamboanga City Mayor Beng Climaco thanked Secretary Soliman and the entire DSWD workforce for their continuous relief efforts and relentless assistance to help build a better Zamboanga.  She likewise expressed gratitude to the President and the different government agencies for being with Zamboanga City in times of great need.

Lastly, Mayor Climaco rallied the Zamboanguenos to seek justice and work together to build a new and better Zamboanga City.  She added that the City will never be the same again due to the armed conflict. According to her that with the help of national government and other partners, Zamboanga will certainly rise anew, an improved City for the Zamboanguenos. ### September 26, 2013