DSWD monitoring welfare of 91k individuals still in 845 evacuation centers

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Tuesday said it is constantly monitoring the welfare of individuals and families who are still staying in evacuation centers and have yet to recover from the effects of recent disasters.

As of Monday, December 22, the DSWD Disaster Response Management Bureau (DRMB) said 845 evacuation centers remain operational and are accommodating 26,053 families or 91,982 individuals.

Displaced families remain highest in Region VII or the Central Visayas, where 479 evacuation centers are providing shelter to 45,805 internally displaced persons.

Region IV-A or CALABARZON came in second with 182 evacuation centers with 19,998 displaced individuals, while the Negros Island Region (NIR) has 14,747 evacuees.

“As per directive ni Secretary Rex Gatchalian, na tiyakin na namo-monitor lahat ng evacuation centers all over the country, ang kaniyang directive, una tiyakin na ang ating approach ay human rights based. Pangunahing tinitingnan natin diyan ay yung social protection dapat in place,” DRMB Director Maria Isabel Lanada said.

(As per directive of Secretary Rex Gatchalian to ensure that all evacuation centers all over the country are monitored, his directive, is first, ensure that our approach is human rights based. We will primarily look at the social protections that should be in place.)

“May mga vulnerable groups tayong tututukan given na mataas yung risks sa health nila, sa harassment kung kababaihan yan, mga kabataan. Binibigyan din natin ng technical assistance yung mga LGUs (local government units) na tiyakin na mayroon nang child-friendly spaces, women-friendly spaces, lactating rooms, prayer rooms, and even conjugal rooms,” she added.

(We are focusing on vulnerable groups, given that there are high risks to their health, harassment in the case of women. We are also giving technical assistance to LGUs to ensure that there are child-friendly spaces, women-friendly spaces, lactating rooms, prayer rooms, and even conjugal rooms.)

Lanada directed the DSWD’s Field Offices to ensure that families staying in evacuation centers receive sufficient support and psychosocial aid.

“’Yung mga Angels in Red Vests nag-mukha silang Santa Claus. May mga field offices tayo na nangangaroling, nag i-immersion doon while doing the monitoring and camp safety audit. Sa bahagi ni DRMB, isa sa direktiba ko rin ay i-mobilize ‘yung ating mga tao para puntahan ‘yung mga evacuation centers,” she said.

(The Angels in Red Vests now look like Santa Claus. We have field offices that conduct caroling activities and immersion while doing the monitoring and camp safety audit. On the part of the DRMB, one of my directives is to mobilize our personnel to visit evacuation centers.)

Lanada also encouraged relatives and friends of evacuees to visit them in the evacuation centers during the Christmas holidays.

She added that the DRMB, in coordination with LGUs, will ensure that the evacuees will be continuously provided with food and non-food items while staying in evacuation centers.

They will also address gaps in services and ensure that support mechanisms are in place like child-friendly spaces, women-friendly spaces, health rooms, prayer rooms, information desks, handwashing facilities, storage areas, and laundry spaces. — JMA, GMA Integrated News