Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian flew on Sunday (November 19) to General Santos City to oversee the provision of assistance to families affected by the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that hit several areas in Mindanao.

The DSWD Secretary’s visit was directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure that all the needs of those affected by the November 17 tremor will be sufficiently met.

During his visit, Sec. Gatchalian led the distribution of financial assistance to more than 2,000 displaced locals in General Santos City, including the mall employees who temporarily lost their jobs due to the disaster.

Sec. Gatchalian also held a meeting with General Santos City officials, led by Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao and Congressman Ton Acharon, to ensure that response operations in the national and local level are synchronized and efficient.

Afterwards, the Secretary was joined by DSWD Undersecretary Diana Rose Cajipe of the Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) and DSWD SOCCSKSARGEN Regional Director Loreto Cabaya Jr. to conduct hospital visits to patients who were injured from last Friday’s earthquake.

Sec. Gatchalian also condoled with the bereaved families who lost their relatives from the tremor.

Since the Friday earthquake, the DSWD has already extended a total of Php 5,179,285 worth of relief assistance to the affected families in Davao Region (Region 11) and SOCCSKSARGEN (Region 12) in the form of food, non-food items, and cash aid.

The DSWD through its Field Office in SOCCSKSARGEN, also prepared 3,000 family food packs (FFPs) for distribution to General Santos City and 5,000 FFPs for Sarangani Province.

Aside from mall workers, the DSWD is also set to extend financial assistance to members of the transportation sector in the next few days. #