DSWD: 50 metric tons of food aid from UAE to arrive in Albay Tuesday night

MANILA, Philippines — The food items, totaling 50 metric tons or 50,000 kilograms that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) donated have been mobilized by the state welfare department and should arrive in Albay by Tuesday night.

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian explained during Tuesday’s press briefing that the donation was facilitated by Department of the Interior and Local Government  Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. and a “counterpart” in the UAE’s royal family.

READ: 50 metric tons of food donations from UAE arrive for families affected by Mayon

“All in-kind donations that [were] coursed through us will get to Albay in the fastest possible time. Every machinery of the government, I think, is already moving,” assured Gatchalian.

Besides the UAE-sponsored aid, the DSWD said it has already deployed around 38,000 food packs to Albay across five three-day waves, servicing an estimated 8,000 families over 15 days.

Gatchalian explained that after the DSWD-shouldered 15 days, the provincial government would take its turn feeding affected families for six days. When this period ends on the 21st day, the DSWD will step in again to feed for another 15 days.

“We want to complement each other’s resources rather than overlap each other’s resources,” said the DSWD chief.

Gatchalian added that if the volcanic unrest in Albay protracts to 90 days, the welfare bureau will reconvene with relevant local government units (LGUs) to form an “arrangement as to who feeds on what days.”

“Bottomline natin dito, lahat ng nilikas ng mga lokal na pamahalaan na nasa evacuation center, hawak na ng kanilang mga alkalde, local officials yung food for the next 15 days. After which the provincial government will step in,” he assured.

(The bottom line is that for all those transferred to evacuation centers by local governments, their local officials already hold the food aid for the next 15 days.)

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

Under the president’s directive, the amounts of such monetary aid are currently being discussed by the welfare department and concerned LGUs, said Gatchalian.

Overcrowding in evacuation centers

Newly appointed Health Secretary Ted Herbosa also reported overcrowding in Albay evacuation centers after he met with concerned provincial health officers on Sunday.

The Department of Health (DOH) is set to deploy Medical and Water and Sanitation Hygiene (WASH) teams under the department’s Health Emergency Management Bureau to address cleanliness concerns amid the overcrowding.

“‘Pag dumadami yung tao diyan, palikuran ang kailangan. So padadalhan— I think napadala na ang aming WASH team,” said Herbosa.

(When the number of people increases, you need more comfortable rooms or facilities. So we [DOH] will deploy… I think we have already deployed our WASH team.)

The health chief added that he would try, with “proper documentation,” to send additional funds to the affected region. Herbosa also said he aims to send an other team of health workers to augment and relieve those currently stationed in Albay.

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JPV/abc