DSWD Region 2 on red alert after Batanes quakes

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) went on red alert status as they continued to monitor and give assistance to earthquake victims in Batanes, its spokesperson said on Sunday.

"Ang DSWD Region 2, ang ating field office sa Tuguegarao, ay nasa red alert status po,” DSWD spokesperson Aireen Dumlao said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

Dumlao said the field office is already giving assistance to the victims.

Some goods from other areas like Nueva Vizcaya have been used to augment the supplies for Basco and Itabayat, she added.

The national office has also prepared food packs to be transported to the affected areas in Batanes.

According to Dumlao, DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista and other Cabinet secretaries are set to visit the areas to oversee the situation.

“Para ma-determine po natin kung ano pa po 'yung kakailanganin na assistance para sa ating mga biktima,” she said.

President Rodrigo Duterte will also go to Batanes on Sunday.

Social workers from DSWD were deployed in Itbayat to provide psycho-social intervention and to augment the personnel of the Department of Health (DOH) for the stress debriefing of victims.

On Saturday, Itbayat was initially hit with a magnitude 5.4 earthquake, which was followed by a stronger magnitude 5.9 earthquake three hours later. An aftershock measuring magnitude 5.4 was also recorded at past 9 a.m. on Saturday.

At least eight people were dead due to the earthquakes. Sixty people were injured and one person remained missing as of posting time. —Joviland Rita/KG, GMA News