BAGUIO CITY (PIA) - - Department of Social Welfare and Development – Cordillera Regional Field Office (DSWD – CAR) Regional Director Leo Quintilla assures there are enough resources that are strategically prepositioned and ready for augmentation to disaster response/relief operations  needs of local government units in the region.

Quintilla, who is the Vice Chairperson for Disaster Response of the Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CRDRRMC), made the assurance during the virtual CRDRRMC Disaster Response Cluster meeting on  Sunday relative to Tropical Cyclone Paeng.

Quintilla shared that DSWD – CAR has currently  59,560 Family Food Packs (FFPs) and 40,196 non – food items (NFIs) prepositioned in the regional and satellite warehouses  as well as  in provincial and municipal LGUs.

DSWD – CAR also has a standby of P5.5 million that is ready for use  to purchase addition response/relief materials that will be needed in case of any disaster or emergency. There is also    a P30 million AICS (Assistance in Crisis Situation) fund that can be used to provide immediate assistance to disaster victims, he added.

Quintilla  said the  DSWD – CAR, in coordination with the Response Cluster member agencies, is   set to bring additional FFPs and NFIs to Abra as part of the response actions and assistance to the affected population of the recent Magnitude 6.4 earthquake which epicenter was located in the municipality of Lagayan.

Additional FFPs and NFIs will also be delivered to Apayao to augment the response and relief operations of the LGUs that were badly affected by flooding incidents caused by the series of tropical cyclones the past weeks.

Quintilla also shared that as part of the Inter – regional disaster response operationalization, the CRDRRMC is also set to deliver 1,000 Family Food Packs to augment the response actions of the DSWD Field Office Region 2.

For the effect of Tropical Cyclone Paeng in the Cordillera, DSWD – CAR Emergency Operations Center  data as of   12 noon of  October 30, 2022 show   a total of 2,488 families or 10,247 individuals  in 46 barangays in 15 municipalities  in  five provinces in the  region  have been affected .

For displaced families, there 96 families (325 individuals) being served inside   seven evacuation centers that are opened  while  56 families (215 individuals) are  being served outside ECs.

Said data  also listed  three  totally damaged houses and nine  partially damaged houses   For casualties,   one  missing  person is  reported  in Balbalan, Kalinga. 

CRDRRMC Chairperson and Civil Defense Cordillera Regional Director Albert Mogol commended the council’s response cluster headed by DSWD – CAR  for leading  the provision of government assistance  to the victims of the   tropical cyclones as well as  the earthquake – affected population especially in the province of Abra.

 Mogol reiterated  his call for   continuing pro- active approach in terms of disaster preparedness and response  especially with still upcoming   tropical cyclones.   (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)