Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman said that relief goods have already been sent to local government units (LGUs)  ahead of  Typhoon Nona’s  landfall as part of its disaster preparedness measures.

The prepositioning of the goods was part of the pre-disaster risk assessment done by the member-agencies of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDDRMC) to mitigate the effects of ‘Nona.’

Sec. Soliman added that in areas where ‘Nona’ made  landfall, the goods were already distributed to the families particularly to fisherfolk to ensure that they will not go fishing during the typhoon.

“Yan ang isang magandang pamamaraan na nagawa natin ngayon, lalo na sa lokal na pamahalaan, ang pagbigay ng goods sa pamilya lalo na sa mangingisda.  Kasi sinasabi nila, pumalaot man kami o hindi, magugutom pa din kami.  Malaking tulong na may goods na sila, hindi na kailangan muna mangisda,” (One of the goods things that the government, especially the LGUs, did to prepare for this disaster  was the immediate provision of relief goods to families, especially to the fisherfolk.  The fishermen need not go fishing during the critical time, thus, ensuring their safety),”  Sec.  Soliman added.

Pre-emptive evacuation was also done to ensure the safety of the families along the typhoon’s path.

As of 2 am, December 15, DSWD listed a total of 22,897 families or 99,109 persons who have been affected of which 22,887 families or 99,064 persons are inside 247 evacuation centers in Regions V and VIII.

However, Sec. Soliman announced that as of 5am today, many of the families have already returned to their homes.

The Secretary  continued  that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are currently doing clearing operations so that additional relief goods can be transported to the affected areas.

Some 140 rolls of tarpaulin were also sent to Catarman, Northern Samar for families whose house roofs were damaged by ‘Nona’  when it made landfall in the area.

DSWD disaster teams in affected regions are on 24/7 duty and are instructed to attend meetings convened by the Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (LDRRMC) to ensure a coordinated response to affected families. ###