Following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck northeast of Bogo City, Cebu, on Tuesday night, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) immediately mobilized to assist affected families.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said he ordered Field Office 7 in Central Visayas to work closely with local government units (LGUs) in providing resource augmentation and relief assistance.
“Our disaster quick response teams (QRTs) at the Central and Field Offices are on alert and have already reached out to the LGUs to assist the affected families. We know that our fellow Filipinos who had been affected are in need of urgent assistance,” Gatchalian said Wednesday.
The DSWD assured that it has sufficient relief supplies and standby funds to support affected areas. Currently, the agency has PHP379 million in standby funds and 2.4 million family food packs (FFPs) prepositioned nationwide. The Visayas Disaster Response Center in Mandaue City also continues to produce FFPs daily to replenish stock.
Aside from relief goods, the DSWD is coordinating with LGUs to ensure that displaced families are safely evacuated and provided with necessary assistance.
“Yesterday, we are already on alert as we are preparing for an approaching low-pressure area that may enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). And disaster operations for ‘Opong’ are still ongoing, so our DSWD QRTs had already been on high alert. We will ensure that all hands are on deck to help with the victims of the earthquake,” Gatchalian said.
He assured quake-affected communities: “We want to say to the affected families and individuals that we are one with you. We assure you of our assistance and help in this time of great need.”