The Office of Civil Defense yesterday disclosed that more relief items are being delivered to thousands of families affected by the magnitude-6.9 earthquake that hit Davao del Sur and adjacent provinces last week to somehow brighten up their gloomy Yuletide season.
OCD Administrator Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad said the delivery of shelter materials, donated items, and food packs are ongoing for the 31,998 families displaced by the quake that are currently staying in at 31 evacuation centers.
He said that aside from the food and non-food items immediately distributed after the quake struck on Dec. 15, two water filtration units are bound for Davao port while a mobile kitchen from the Armed Forces of the Philippines was deployed to Malalag, Davao del Sur.
One-hundred twenty-five dome tents and 488 blankets were delivered to the the Department of Social Welfare and Development Region 11 for distribution.
More than 1,800 family food packs have been delivered to Matanao, Davao del Sur while 2,269 food packs and drinking kits were sent to Barangay Poblacion, Magsaysay, Davao del Sur. Some 300 blankets were turned over to the local government unit of Malungon, Sarangani for distribution.
“The transportation of the relief items and the deployment of quick response force are being handled by the AFP,” Jalad said, adding that the military’s C-130 aircraft was utilized to transport the food and non-food items to those who need it the most.
Three more helicopters were prepositioned for the continuing rapid damage assessment and needs analysis in affected areas, Jalad said.
Twelve persons have been killed while 210 others were injured in the earthquake, said Jalad, also the executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. (Martin Sadongdong)
