Immediately, a day after a tremendous blaze hit some three barangays in Tacloban City, the DSWD Field Office Eight under Regional Director Leticia Diokno sent a team to coordinate with the City Social Welfare and Development Office to conduct a rapid assessment in the affected areas, Monday, May 21.

DSWD Eight Assistant Regional Director, Nestor Ramos, who is presently the officer-in-charge, said the Field Office is ready to extend augmentation assistance in manpower and resources, should the local government unit needs help. He bared that the office always maintains a standby of one thousand family food packs, with each pack amounting to Php 250.00.

As of press time, the City Government of Tacloban under Mayor Alfred Romualdez had started providing relief support to an estimate two hundred affected families. They come from Barangays 58, 60, and 60 – A.

The fire was reported to have started at Barangay 58, in the house of a certain MELODY MENDOZA, due to a petroleum gas stove which was allegedly left unattended.

The DSWD Assistant Regional Director further revealed that there are now some 103 families seeking temporary refuge at the Tacloban Convention Center. He emphasized that his social workers will look into the situation of the evacuees, particularly the children.

Ramos pointed out the value of giving priority concern to children, as the latter are most vulnerable to risks brought about by unhealthy environment, particularly in evacuation centers which often are congested and unclean.