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The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office VI (Western Visayas) conducted psychosocial activities among children and youth-evacuees of Mt. Kanlaon eruption, a senior agency official said on Wednesday (June 5).
“As directed by DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, we are prioritizing the well-being of the affected families, especially the internally displaced persons (IDPs) inside the evacuation centers,” DSWD Asst. Secretary for Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) Irene Dumlao said.
The provision of psychosocial intervention was jointly conducted by the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) case managers and staff from the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) together with the La Castellana Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) at the evacuation center in La Castellana Elementary School.
“This is part of the social protection programs provided by the DSWD for the IDPs as the lead agency for Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Cluster and as the vice-chair for Disaster Response Cluster of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC),” Asst. Secretary Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, said.
In a related development, the local government unit (LGU) of La Carlota City also provided complete facilities in the evacuation centers for Mt. Kanlaon evacuees as part of their CCCM.
“The LGU set up areas for children’s playgrounds; medical and toilet facilities for senior citizens, persons with disabilities and pregnant evacuees; and breastfeeding stations for nursing mothers,” the DSWD spokesperson pointed out.
Based on the latest report of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC), a total of 558 families or 1,933 individuals from 16 barangays in Negros Occidental have been affected.
According to Asst. Secretary Dumlao, 372 families or 1,252 persons are still taking temporary shelter in the different evacuation centers in the province.
The DSWD Field Office VI (Western Visayas) continues to distribute food and non-food items (FNIs) including sleeping kits and family food packs to the affected families in Negros Occidental.