Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian has assured President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. that the DSWD Central Office has already dispatched 153,000 food packs for the 90-day cycle for the province of Albay in response to the present crisis.

The DSWD chief made the assurance in response to the President’s directive to national agencies to cover 90 days of relief assistance to evacuees, which is the estimated maximum period of unrest of the volcano based on the past behavior of Mayon.

On Wednesday (June 14) evening, President Marcos presided over the meeting of Albay local officials led by Gov. Edcel Greco Lagman, who reported on the actions taken and preparations being made by the provincial government in coordination with other national government agencies.

Aside from the DSWD chief, cabinet members who attended the situation briefing were Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato Solidum and Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Secretary Antonio Lagdameo.

“Let us be prepared to take as much of the load as soon as possible off of the local government units para naman mayroon silang – malay natin magkabagyo pa, may mangyari pa, para mayroon silang reserba pa. Hindi natin uubusin ‘yung kanilang quick response fund, number one,” President Marcos said during the situation briefing at the Albay Astrodome in Legaspi City

The President added: “Number two, we should use as a working number: a minimum of 45 days. The 45 days to 90 days comes from both the science of DOST and the experience of the locals. Noong tinatanong natin sa kanila ‘usually papaano ito?’ Iyon na nga, 45 to 90 days. Kaya’t iyon ang gagamitin natin na working number.”

Overall, the President expressed his satisfaction over the government’s response to the ongoing restiveness of Mayon Volcano and called on government agencies to provide the affected residents with some form of productive activity particularly the children while they are sheltering in evacuations centers.

“I think that the response that we have put together is satisfactory, that we were able to prepare and we were able to achieve so far ‘yung sinasabi ng province (na) walang casualty,” the chief executive said.

Secretary Gatchalian earlier explained that after the DSWD shouldered 15 days-worth of family food packs (FFPs), the Albay provincial government would take its turn feeding the affected families for six days. When this period ends on the 21st day, the DSWD will step in again to provide food packs for another 15 days.

The DSWD chief said that if the volcanic unrest in Albay protracts to 90 days, the DSWD will reconvene with concerned local government units (LGUs) to form an “arrangement as to who feeds on what days.”

The DSWD is also considering deploying financial assistance as the family food packs only include “typical” goods that may not meet the needs of nursing mothers, small children, and senior citizens.

During the earlier visit at the Guinobatan Community College evacuation center in Guinobatan town, the President assured families affected by the Mayon unrest that the national government is always ready to respond and cater to their needs while they wait for the volcanic activity to normalize.

The President said he directed national government agencies to provide the necessities of the evacuees sheltering at the evacuation centers, particularly food, potable water, medicines, and sanitation kits and equipment.

“At huwag kayong mag-aantay nang matagal kung may pangangailangan kayo. Sabihin ninyo sa amin. Nandito si Mayor, nandito si Gov, nandito lahat ng DSWD, nandito ‘yung DILG, nandito silang lahat at nandiyan lang sila para alalayan kayo,” the President pointed out.

The DILG and DND have been coordinating with all disaster relief response agencies in the country to provide the needs of the evacuees, while the DSWD works on extending relief goods, the President said.

Meanwhile, 57 families from Barangay Baligang in Ligao City who were evacuated to the Provincial Camp Site Evacuation Center received P5,000 cash assistance each on Wednesday through the initiative of House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

The cash aid was from funds appropriated through the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program. Affected families from three barangays in Guinobatan — Maninila, Tandarura, and Muladbucad Grande — will also receive the P5,000 in cash each starting June 15.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported that 4,400 families or 15,676 individuals were displaced by the Mayon’s restiveness, mostly from the seven municipalities and cities of Albay such as Camalig, Ligao City, Daraga, Guinobatan, Malilipot, Santo Domingo and Tabaco City.#