QUEZON CITY -- Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rolando Bautista and officials of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), Office of the Civil Defense (OCD), and Region VIII DRRMC met on April 14 to assess the impact of TS Agaton in the region and to  determine ways to address these.

Secretary Bautista was also joined by NDRRMC Executive Director, Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad; OCD Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV;  representatives of the Department of the Interior and Local Government Region VIII;  members of the Tactical Operations Group; and other officers of the uniformed services during an aerial inspection of the landslide areas in Abuyog, Leyte.

After the aerial inspection, Secretary Bautista proceeded to the Abuyog Community College evacuation center and later on to Barangay Kantagnos, Baybay City to check on the condition of the affected families.

Meanwhile, in continuation of the disaster response operations of the DSWD, Secretary  Bautista conducted an ocular visit in areas affected by TS Agaton in Baybay City, Leyte on April 13  to identify the needs of residents and ensure the continued provision of assistance to them.

Together with DSWD Eastern Visayas Regional Director Grace Subong, Secretary Bautista led the distribution of Family Food Packs (FFPs) to 36 family-victims and P10,000 burial assistance each to the five bereaved families of landslide victims in Barangay Bunga.

The DSWD Secretary also visited the evacuation center in Baybay City Senior High School where landslide victims are currently staying.  Some 46 family-evacuees received FFPs and cash assistance of whom nine families received P10,000 each while the other 37 families received P5,000 each, depending on the assessment of social workers.

As of press time, a total of 5,113 FFPs amounting to more than P3.4 million were delivered to the municipalities of Abuyog, Guiuan, and Baybay City as resource augmentation support to the local government units (LGUs).

The DSWD, through its Field Office VIII, continues to coordinate with concerned LGUs for the  provision of relief assistance and other services for their affected constituents.  Under Republic Act 10121 or the Philippines Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, the LGUs are the first responders during disasters. (DSWD)