The Department of Social Welfare and Development is fully committed to meeting the needs of the victims of the explosion of MT. Kanlaon
Today, June 4, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian and Undersecretary for Disaster Response Management Group Diana Rose Cajipe personally went to Negros Oriental to check with the residents.
Gatchalian and Cajipe met with the mayor to discuss the possible assistance the office could provide.
Also present at the meeting were Negros Oriental 1st District Representative Jocelyn Sy-Limkaichong, Negros Oriental 2nd District Rep. Manuel Sagarbarria, and Canlaon Mayor Jose Chubasco Cardenas. Secretary Gatchalian emphasized the need to quickly meet the needs of the residents.
“We have to prepare for the worst. So we have to make sure that you (concerned Regional Directors) are all connected with us (Central Office). Just keep monitoring. And I want you to be proactive. Talk to your governors regularly, talk to your mayors, talk to your congressmen,” Secretary Gatchalian instructed the DSWD Field Offices.
During the meeting, the DSWD chief also directed the concerned Field Offices to deploy their Mobile Command Centers (MCCs) to enable real-time coordination and communication among national and local government agencies.
“I-deploy ninyo ang MCC ninyo. I-deploy ninyo sa labas ng mga evac centers [Deploy your Mobile Command Centers outside evacuation centers],” Secretary Gatchalian pointed out.
Right now, there are 72,235 boxes of family food packs ready to be distributed by DSWD in Western Visayas and Central field offices.
Based on DRMG’s dromic report, as of June 4, at six in the morning, 112 families, or 480 individuals, were affected by the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon and remain in the evacuation center.
In total, 170 families, or 796 individuals, were victims of the volcanic eruption.