The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assures assistance to the victims of a stampede that occurred in Toledo City and Pinamungahan town in the Visayas Region, during the 7.2 earthquake this morning.

The DSWD said that the stampede happened during the pay-out of cash grants to beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in the areas. Nineteen individuals were injured in the Toledo City stampede while a 4-year old child died and 16 were injured in the Pinamungahan incident.

The DSWD in Cebu City also reported that its Crisis Intervention Unit building and the Reception and Study Center for Children (RSCC) have damages. The babies under the custody of the RSCC were already transferred to a safer building.

Secretary DInky Soliman said she has instructed DSWD regional offices in the earthquake-hit regions to check on all the DSWD centers and institutions to ensure the safety of the residents.

Meanwhile, the DSWD is now processing the release of additional P10 million standby funds for DSWD-Region VII for the projected relief needs of the affected families. There is also on-going repacking of relief goods at the DSWD-National Resource Operations Center (NROC) and at the DSWD-regional office in Cebu.

Secretary Soliman said that the DSWD has prepositioned P89.731 million composed of standby funds, family packs, other food and non-food items for Regions V (Bicol), VI (Western Visayas), VII (Central Visayas), and XI (Davao). ###