After ‘Seniang,’ blame game goes on between mayor, DSWD

THE MAGNITUDE of the destruction left by Typhoon “Seniang” in Ronda town in Cebu province unraveled hours after floods swept nearly everything on its path, including this delivery van.
TONEE DESPOJO/CEBU DAILY NEWS

RONDA, Cebu—The mayor of this town, one of the areas worst hit by Typhoon “Seniang,” took to task the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for allegedly failing to come to the aid of his people after Seniang destroyed homes and sources of livelihood.

Mayor Mariano Blanco III said residents went without food for several days and were now still relying on the availability of relief.

The towns of Dumanjug and Barili, also in Cebu province and adjacent to this town, have received relief after requesting for these from the regional office of the DSWD in Central Visayas.

“In my case, I failed to submit a request for help to the DSWD, because I am busy helping my constituents,” Blanco said. “Besides, our office supplies are all wet because of the flood,” he added.

He said that even without the request, the DSWD should have come to the aid of the town. “So we are not given relief? What kind of welfare agency is the DSWD?” he said.

Shalaine Marie Lucero, assistant director for operations of the regional DSWD office, said the office had called the mayor a day after the storm struck Cebu province. Lucero added that it was the mayor who told the DSWD office that he would send the request.

But as of Tuesday, Lucero said, no request had been sent by the local government of this town to the DSWD.

“After the devolution in 1992, LGUs (local government units) have been tasked to serve as front-liners in emergency situations, but the DSWD will still provide technical assistance and augmentation,” Lucero said at a news forum on Tuesday.

Lucero said the DSWD had prepared at least P1.1 million worth of relief for the towns of Alcantara, Dumanjug, Barili and Ronda.

In a press release on Dec. 31, the regional office of the DSWD said it had given 3,000 food packs to the towns of Barili and Dumanjug on Dec. 30.

Mercedita Jabagat, regional DSWD chief, was quoted in the release as saying that the agency “is always ready to augment [supply] and distribute relief packs should the LGU request for [these].”

Ronda, a fifth-class municipality, has 14 villages and a population of about 18,000. The town suffered the most during Seniang, with at least 14 fatalities.

A state of calamity was declared in the town on Dec. 30.

Mayor Blanco said the only help that his town had received were 5,000 food packs given by the Cebu provincial government and delivered by Gov. Hilario Davide III on Dec. 31, a day after Seniang struck.

Private donors also gave help, he said. The most recent aid given the town came from Vice President Jejomar Binay, who distributed food packs to residents and cash to families of those who died.

“In times of calamities, the DSWD is an office for national assistance. But the question is, where are they?” Blanco told reporters.

He said he wanted the DSWD central office to investigate, asking Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman to “find out what her regional director is doing.”

“They are a national office for assistance. They should have sent their people here to assist us,” Blanco said.

In a report by the Cebu provincial government, Seniang destroyed 137 houses and damaged 410 others in four towns—Alcantara, Ronda, Barili and Dumanjug.

The Dumlog Bridge in the town of Sibonga and a provincial road in a village of Balili town were destroyed.

In Sibonga, authorities built a footbridge for people to use while the Dumlog Bridge has not been repaired yet.