The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is disheartened by the incident involving the ambush of two military trucks on their way back from delivering relief goods for survivors of Typhoon Nona in Northern Samar.

These are also the vehicles that would transport some 270,240 GI sheets to Northern Samar.

In a meeting at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) this morning, DSWD Undersecretary Vilma Cabrera
disclosed that DSWD will suspend, in the meantime, the use of vehicles of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in transporting relief goods. In lieu of AFP vehicles, the Department will hire trucks to ferry the goods.

The two escorts of the relief trucks are safe.

Meanwhile, a total of 30,559 families or 140,776 persons are inside 458 evacuation centers managed by local government units in Regions IV-A, IV-B, V and VIII as of 18 December 2015, 2PM. The number also includes those displaced by the flooding in Region III.

DSWD Sec. Soliman said disaster operations in ‘Nona’-affected areas will continue until the needs of the evacuees have been met.

On the other hand, preparations for ‘Onyok’ are also ongoing.
In Caraga Region, DSWD-Field Office Caraga has prepositioned relief goods in various municipalities that will be affected.

These are :

· Loreto, Province of Dinagat Island (PDI) – 1,000 FFPs

· Tubajon, PDI – 1,000 FFPs

· Libjo, PDI – 1,000 FFPs

· Burgos, Surigao del Norte (SDN)- 500 FFPs

· Socorro, SDN – 500 FFPs

· Pilar, SDN – 500 FFPs

· Dapa, SDN – 500 FFPs

· Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO)-SDN – 3000 FFPs

· PSWDO-SD- 500 FFPs

· Tiniwisan (DSWD Warehouse)- 4,486 FFPs