DSWD sends 500 rolls of ‘tarp’ to shelter ‘Odette’ victims

MANILA – More temporary shelters will be established for Typhoon Odette victims as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) sent some 500 rolls of sakoline or laminated sacks to Butuan and Surigao.

This, after President Rodrigo Roa Duterte ordered the distribution of tarpaulin sheets to Typhoon Odette-hit areas.

The agency’s Field Office (FO) in Calabarzon will also augment 500 family tents to Mimaropa, while its Field Office in Bicol will deliver 500 rolls of laminated sacks to its affected areas. Earlier, the National Resource Operations Center (NROC) delivered 272 family tents to Siargao.

In a Palace press briefing on Wednesday, Acting Presidential Spokesperson, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, said Duterte’s directive to procure tarpaulin sheets and lumber from uprooted coconut trees would be the “fastest” way to make temporary shelters while waiting for the construction materials to arrive in areas ravaged “Odette”.

“Of course, yung (the) construction materials will come. But in the meantime, yung (the) immediate needs on the ground are the tarps. Ito po ay mula sa mga requests din ng ating local government units na ang basis po nila ay sa mga requests din ng kanilang constituents (These are from the requests of our local government units whose basis are the requests of their constituents),” Nograles said.

Nograles, however, assured the construction materials that will be used to build sturdier shelters “will come later”.

Aside from shelter materials, the DSWD continues its provision of food items to affected localities. The DSWD and Office of Civil Defense, and the Regional Maritime Unit in Central Visayas delivered 500 family food packs (FFPs) to Inabanga, Bohol.

In Western Visayas, DSWD also sent 2,200 FFPs to Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental. To hasten the distribution of aid to affected locals, FO 4 staff also provided technical assistance to the local government unit (LGU).

In Palawan, the regional office delivered some 2,000 FFPs to the municipality of Taytay. The FFPs arrived at the Port of Puerto Princesa City through the assistance of the Philippine Coast Guard.

The DSWD in Caraga also started its distribution of financial assistance under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program to families affected by ‘Odette’ in Dapa, Surigao del Norte and Basilisa, Province of Dinagat Islands.

The regional office reported that more families from other affected municipalities are expected to receive assistance as soon as the results of the rapid assessment conducted by the DSWD and concerned LGUs are validated.

As of December 29, more than PHP180 million worth of humanitarian assistance has already been provided to affected families.

Of this amount, more than PHP137 million worth of augmentation assistance was provided by the DSWD, more than PHP42 million worth of aid was given by concerned LGUs to their constituents, while more than PHP1 million worth of aid was provided by non-government organizations and other partners.