In photo: Regional Director Violeta A. Cruz and Division Chief Lucia S. Alan assess the damages brought by Typhoon Vinta in one of the Core shelter sites in Gonzaga, Cagayan. Photo by Rommel Gamiao, SWO II

Tuguegarao City (November 1, 2013) —Just after the onslaught of Typhoon Vinta which occurred yesterday affecting Northern Luzon particularly the province of Cagayan, Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 02 Regional Director Violeta A. Cruz together with Office of the Civil Defence Regional Director Norma Talosig and Department of Interior and Local Government Regional Director Marlo Iringan joined forces during the initial ocular survey to assess and validate damages brought about by said typhoon.

As of 5:00 pm today, DSWD disaster monitoring report has registered 23, 504 affected families or 101,986 affected persons with 1, 409 reported totally damaged houses and 9,444 reported partially damaged houses with zero reported casualties.

Most of these reported victims are from the municipalities of Gonzaga, Sta. Teresita, Appari, Camalaniugan, (under District 1) Ballesteros, Lasam, Sanchez Mira, Sta. Praxedes, Iguig (under District 2) of Cagayan Province.

The family victims under District 1 affected municipalities have received a total of 1,000 family food packs assistance amounting to P250, 000.00 while family victims under District 2 affected municipalities have also received a total of 1,000 family food packs also amounting to P250, 000.00 from DSWD.

Regional Director Violeta A. Cruz said that the Field Office has sufficient stockpile of 2,000 family food packs and a total of 4, 000 prepositioned family food packs to 65 evacuation centers region wide. These family food packs are ready for augmentation support at any given time to affected families or Local Government Units per their request while a total of P198,961.60 is available at the Field Office as standby funds.

Moreover, the Social Welfare and Development (SWAD) Offices of Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino are still in a 24-hour duty to ensure the retrieval and validation of reports from their respective Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (PDRRMCs).

Also, the Disaster Reduction and Management Team or DMRT stationed at DSWD Field Office II is still active in monitoring updates on reports and the status of weather condition in the provinces thru the SWAD Teams.

The SWADs are reminded to ensure that the relief assistance extended to the affected families shall be supported by the Disaster Family Access Card (DAFAC) and completed Relief Distributed Sheet.

Trained social workers on Critical Incidence Stress Debriefing (CISD) were also advised to be ready for deployment in the event that their services will be needed.

As of now, the Field Office is tapping volunteers from the Media, Academe and other Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the region ready to assist in the repacking of foods and other non-food items for stockpile and additional augmentation support if the needs arise. ###By Angely Lubo-Mercado, Regional Information Officer