Yes, there’s no more storm warning signal for Eastern Visayas as of mid-morning today, October 12, as typhoon Ramon has weakened and slightly changed its direction! However, DSWD Field Office Eight Director Leticia Diokno said her agency is still on alert because of the unstable weather condition that may not be safe yet for sea travellers and people living in low-lying and mountainous areas.

The DSWD Field Office Director is, then, issuing a warning to all local government units (LGUs) to continue activating its local disaster risk and reduction councils, especially in this time of typhoon season. She expressed her appreciation for the LGUs which have their respective disaster councils revived and made more functional.

Diokno reported that the field office continues to extend technical assistance on disaster risk management and is ready to provide augmentation assistance if the LGU needs. She revealed that the agency has a standby of 1,000 family relief packs that costs Php 250.00 per pack, and calamity fund of Php 300.000.00, at a given time.

DSWD field workers of the six provinces, who compose the Social Welfare And Development Teams (SWADT), keep on constant touch with the local risk reduction councils for updates. The Field Office also has its Quick Response Team ready to render a 24 – hour duty if needed.

The SWADT of the province of Southern Leyte revealed that the city government of Maasin has provided food assistance to family-evacuees of Barangay Canturing of same city who left for safer grounds due to the overflowing of river. The assistance amounted to Php 54,000.00. In St. Bernard municipality, too, families of an undetermined number were advised to stay in their evacuation centers as their homes are in disaster-prone areas.

Even in Sogod town of same province, a landslide occurred in Brgys. Pancho Villa and Ulisihan but no report on the number of affected families yet. Meanwhile, there are 21 persons bound for Bohol who are stranded in Bato, Leyte.

In Samar province, nine barangays are affected with 323 affected families, while in the two major ports of Northern Samar, 316 individuals are stranded in the port of Looc and in Dapdap, all of Allen town, but with no report of the number yet.

Director Diokno revealed that the field office has conceptualized the ANGKAS (Alliance of Networks for Assistance to Strandees) Project and is now being implemented by the LGUs of Allen and Liloan in Southern Leyte where ferry terminals are. The field office, however, still provides support to this project which addresses the needs of strandees as well as victims of trafiicking.