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DSWD deals with impassable roads to Bicol, but prepositioned relief stocks stable

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MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), like other relief and rescue workers, is having trouble reaching certain areas in Camarines Sur to deliver more aid for the hardest-hit communities of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, but the supply of prepositioned stockpile of relief goods is still stable.

In a press briefing on Thursday, October 24, Leo Quintilla, the DSWD Special Assistant to the Secretary for Disaster Response and Management Group, said that mobility is a challenge in logistics, and that it was coordinating with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in clearing impassable roads.

Mayroon pang mga areas, Naga, CamSur, na hindi pa natin ma-reach…. But with the continuous clearing of course by the DPWH, hopefully mag-subside na po ‘yung mga baha natin at ma-reach na natin ‘yung mga areas na ‘to,” said Quintilla.

(There are some areas, like Naga, CamSur, that we have yet to reach… But with the continuous clearing of course by the DPWH, hopefully the floods will subside and we will reach these areas.)

The current inability of new vehicles to reach the areas does not mean that the affected residents are not getting aid, since the department had already prepositioned goods that may be distributed by local government units and social welfare offices.

As of 6 am on Thursday, the DSWD regional office in Bicol located in Legazpi City had a stockpile of 121,561 family food packs. One FFP is good for three to five days, which includes six kilograms of rice, four tins of corned beef, four tins of tuna flakes, two tins of sardines, four sachets of instant coffee, and four sachets of chocolate malt drinks.

The DSWD is also getting support from other agencies to supply air and naval assets to bring FFPs, water filtration kits, and non-food needs like hygiene kits, kitchen kits, sleeping kits, and family clothing kits.

More volunteers, donation drives

Donation drive organizers and companies have also pitched help to the DSWD in supplying relief.

“We have courier services volunteering. We received notes that they were willing to bring DSWD goods to disaster-affected areas, so we’re going to utilize all those transport courier groups who volunteered,” said Quintilla in a mix of English and Filipino.

To streamline the distribution of relief goods, the DSWD also directly refers donation drive organizers reaching out to areas still in need of help.

“So, they reach out directly to the MSWDOs [Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office] or the local government units so that the processing of the donations is much faster,” he said.

Over 345,000 families were affected by Kristine in Bicol as of 8 am on Thursday, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Six were reported dead, four injured, and five missing in the region. – Rappler.com


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