Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer (LDRRMO) Alberto Cabacang of Allen in Northern Samar expressed how their town is grateful for DSWD for its unrelenting support to LGUs in addressing the most pressing needs of the communities most especially now in times of pandemic.
He also sees an intensified collaboration and complementation of response actions from LGUs and national agencies most particularly in implementing COVID 19 quarantine facilities for containment measures.
The demand for COVID-19 facilities in the province of Northern Samar rose as the number of cases in the province spike again mostly due to community transmission as officially announced last October 13, 2020.
The municipality has existing isolation centers to cater the confirmed and probable COVID cases, but the local communities also identified the need for additional quarantine facilities for returning residents.
Cabacang emphasized that “COVID-19 remains pervasive so there is a continuing need for building facilities. Allen is a 5th class municipality. Our fund is not enough to address it, and we are grateful for the assistance of DSWD to help our communities build two quarantine facilities with amenities in two barangays.”
During the planning and preparation stage of the project, the communities identified temporary quarantine facilities to be funded under the Department of Social Welfare and Development Kapit-Bisig Laban Sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS).
The two temporary quarantine facilities which have a combined total fund of Php 2.5-M also include amenities, and provision of communication equipment.
LDRRMO Cabacang highlighted that the communication equipment, as part of the projects, will be used as their Public Address System; for timely information dissemination on COVID 19 updates and protocols. It will be also used in emergencies and disasters.
The two quarantine facilities, both made of collapsible tents, are targeted to be completed by October to be of service to the Locally Stranded Individuals and Returning Overseas Filipinos from the 20 barangays of their locality.
DSWD, through the Kalahi-CIDSS program, continues to assist the Local Government Units (LGUs) through providing technical assistance and funding projects identified by the communities.
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(credits: DSWD A/MCT Allen, N. Samar)