The relief goods from the Department of Social Welfare and Development reached the areas affected by super typhoon Haima in the northern part of Luzon in the Philippines. The delivery comes in a pile of boxes through a cargo truck from Manila, which came to the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Cagayan, and Apayao. The victims were thankful that they've receives the relief goods from the government who wants to ensure that they provide an immediate relief for the worst affected areas where the tropical disturbance visited a few days ago.
The Department of Social Welfare Services and Development (DSWD) is a local government agency in the Philippines responsible for responding to depressed areas whenever there are disturbances brought about by natural or manmade calamities. Under the initiative of the Duterte administration, the DSWD made an impressive feedback for responding quickly even if the storm has yet to leave the country. The response is also coordinated by other government agencies who are now working together to restore power, accessibility, and infrastructure productivity of the affected areas brought about by the super typhoon Haima that battered the northern Luzon province in the Philippine island of Luzon.
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| Very organized handling of relief goods in boxes by the Department of Social Welfare and Development |
The super typhoon traversed the northern region of Luzon, passing through the provinces of Cagayan, Apayao, and Ilocos Norte before reaching the South China Sea. The storm made a history in the Philippines for being the first to let PAGASA raise Signal Number 5, which is the highest signal for a super typhoon to visit the Philippines. Signal Number 5 is raised for a storm that reaches a wind speed of more than 221 kilometers per hour near the center. The storm may just pass the country for at least 24 hours, but it caused a significant damage to infrastructures.
More than a dozen individuals perished when the super typhoon hammered that particular area of the Philippines. Damage to infrastructures and agriculture reached an estimated average of at least three million dollars in US currency. However, the amount of costs and loss of lives were far lesser as compared to the damages brought about by super typhoon Haiyan or Yolanda that battered the Visayas islands in the central Philippine archipelago. This is because residents in northern Luzon was informed about the storm's path and made an earlier preparation to prevent being at risk from the hazards that can be brought about by the typhoon.
Watch Super typhoon Haima's effect in the Philippines
5 Reasons why DSWD relief goods generated a positive feedback
1. Delivered on time: The Department of Social Welfare and Development agency immediately packed relief goods and then delivered to the affected areas in the Northern Luzon island. The shipments reached the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Apayao, and Cagayan, which were the hardest hit areas from the onslaught of the typhoon. Even if the typhoon was still on land, the DSWD managed to ensure that the basic needs of the affected residents in the area are given temporary relief goods to prevent starvation.
2. Packed in boxes: More is better!!! This time, the DSWD created a new system when handing out temporary relief goods for the residents affected by natural and manmade calamities. From the usual plastic bags containing relief goods items, the agency decided that it is better to deliver the items in a form of boxes. Affected households will be delighted to receive such items because they know that there will be more goods that are easily carried by anyone receiving the boxes directly from the delivery trucks.
3. Long-term relief good: Each household is given a box containing relief goods, which is a new scenario that will always apply for those who will be affected by any disasters. As a victim, you seek for a longer period of food supply to allow more time for you to find for a temporary job or solution to prevent your family from starvation. One box could mean that your family will have at least more than two weeks of basic needs. In contrast with relief goods containing at least a three-day supply would make you clamor for more food.
4. Less susceptible to spoilage: A box containing relief goods are better than a plastic bag that is handed out to the affected households. A box has a stronger casing to pack the relief goods together from any environmental stressors or influence that might cause any possibility for spoilage. If the relief items are packed in just a bag of plastic, it can easily destroy by any environmental factors that shorten the viability for the food to be consumed. This means that having a strong protective barrier helps to lengthen the viability of items that is available for consumption.
5. Less time and effort: For government response team, the new strategic process applied by the current administration indicates that it is easier to provide relief goods for the households affected by the disasters. Stock personnel can just pile up the boxes to a container van that is just a few minutes away to transport the items to the designated areas for the affected areas anywhere in the country. Government personnel may not need to sort out the contents of the relief goods from the box because it takes more time, money, and effort to do it before delivering it to affected households that are in critical condition.
Residents are hopeful that this system will be implemented even after the current administration will be taken over by the next leader after six years.
What do you think about his new strategic response by the DSWD?
