Assistance provided to Cebu, Davao Oriental earthquake victims reach P218.5M —DSWD

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has provided nearly P220 million worth of assistance to individuals and families affected by the doublet earthquake that rocked Manay, Davao Oriental, and the magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Bogo City, Cebu.

At a news forum in Quezon City on Saturday, DSWD Disaster Response Management Bureau Director Maria Isabel Lanada said the agency provided a total of P3,749,575.52 worth of assistance to those affected by the earthquakes in Davao Oriental and a total of P214,749,033.65 to the victims of the Cebu earthquake.

The total assistance provided by the DSWD for the earthquake incidents amounted to P218,498,609.17.

In Region XI and Caraga, Lanada said there are currently 2,241 affected families inside evacuation centers, while 292 are outside evacuation centers following the Davao Oriental earthquake.

“To strengthen field operations, the Department's social protection vehicles have also been deployed to the affected areas to facilitate the transport of relief goods, mobilization of personnel, and support the overall delivery of humanitarian assistance,” she said.

“The continuous provision of relief interventions is being undertaken to address the immediate needs of the displaced population and ensure timely response to critical humanitarian requirements,” she added.

The DSWD will implement Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) assistance to further help affected families recover from the devastation, with the facilitation of requirements and assessment activities currently ongoing.

“All interventions are anchored on the principles of social protection for disaster-affected families, guided by a rights-based approach, and implemented in line with the Department's commitment to a rapid and sustained disaster response,” she said.

In Cebu province, the DSWD official said there are currently 815 affected families inside evacuation centers, while 1,106 are outside evacuation centers.

Lanada said the second wave of family food pack distribution has been successfully completed for the affected population in Cebu.

The DSWD official added that the agency also provided psychosocial debriefing to earthquake victims, as many of the affected individuals exhibit “disaster fatigue” or anxiety and panic attacks.

Lanada said that the DSWD is currently facilitating additional requests for relief augmentation to sustain operations and ensure adequate resource allocation for continuing response activities.  —VBL, GMA Integrated News