Amid various issues raised on the ongoing government disaster operations, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is calling for greater patience and understanding from various sectors in these trying times.
“We recognize that efficiency is hampered due to stressful situations, but we are exerting our best efforts to respond to the whole process of addressing the needs of our typhoon-affected countrymen,” the Department said.
It added that volunteer efforts and comments are welcome as long as these will facilitate and enhance existing disaster efforts.
“Let us all work together to search and implement solutions for the benefit of the victims,” it said.
Facebook post
The DSWD cited the Facebook post of a volunteer detailing his observations when he and his friends went to the relief hub in Tacloban City.
In his post, he raised a number of issues particularly on the relief goods that are “stocked for a long period of time,” on the handling of relief goods, on making the volunteers wait for their turn to repack, and on the Food-for-Work (FFW) Program, among others.
The Department is thankful that issues such as these are brought to its attention. It assured the public that lessons are learned and improvements are made along the way.
Clarifications
The DSWD explained that to date, more than 1.2 million family food packs have already been distributed to victims of Typhoon Yolanda in Eastern Visayas alone since November 8.
“That would translate to approximately 82,000 packs a day distributed in all the 40 towns of Leyte, 15 municipalities of Eastern Samar including Guiuan, and the 138 barangays of Tacloban City,” the Department expounded.
This means food packs do not stay stacked inside the hubs for too long. They get sent out as soon as vehicles to be used for distribution are ready to be dispatched again.
The Department also explained that a shifting schedules are followed in all repacking hubs. The volunteers, whose number has already reached the thousands, are not allowed to go inside the hub all at the same time to maintain order and maximize productivity in the centers.
On the claim that bottled water were on the floor and rice were spilled from the sacks, the Department said that there were a few plastic bags of relief goods that were accidentally torn as a result of handling.
The bottles of water that were on the floor were being readied for repacking in sacks. These were not packed when they were donated. The goods were piled outside the warehouse for easier loading to trucks and vans.
The Department also explained that plastic bags were really a problem since there was no supply in the city as all establishments are closed. It added that the only plastic bag available can only fit three kilograms of rice instead of six.
Thus, DSWD personnel would still order the items from Cebu and Manila.
The FFW, which is an intervention for disaster victims where they are given food packs in exchange for doing community work such as repacking during relief operations, is exclusively for adults.
“The FFW is a one way to facilitate the recovery of the victims from their trauma. Keeping them busy is one way of helping them cope with their traumatic experience and would give them a semblance of normalcy as they are already somehow earning,” it said.
On top of the goods that they receive under the FFW, they still continue to receive food packs from the DSWD under the regular distribution cycle.# # #
