The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Central Office will continue to deploy members of its Quick Response Team (QRT) to other field offices (FOs) to assist in disaster operations in response to Super Typhoon Pepito (Man-yi) and Typhoon Ofel (Usagi).

In a news release on Wednesday, Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said the QRT was officially activated through a special order signed by Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Nov. 18 to deliver additional support and specialized assistance for the DSWD’s ongoing disaster response operation.

“The QRT has been activated to provide support in pursuing the Department’s Disaster Risk Reduction mandate as Vice-Chairperson for Disaster Response and Early Recovery Cluster of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC),” the DSWD spokesperson said.

Under Gatchalian’s directive, 100 personnel from the DSWD central office are set to augment the disaster response workforce of selected field offices, particularly those rendering ongoing support to local government units (LGUs) severely affected by Pepito and Ofel.

Dumlao noted that in the aftermath of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (Trami), DSWD personnel from other FOs were also deployed to Bicol Region to assist in the disaster operations of FO 5.

“Basically, this is what we call inter-field office operability, a practice of the agency for a long time now lalo na tuwing may large-scale disaster operations tayong pinangungunahan (especially during large-scale disaster operations that we head). Recently, we tapped this as we deployed some of our QRTs from Regions 1 (Ilocos), 8 (Eastern Visayas), and the Cordillera Administrative Region para humalili sa personnel natin from Region 5 (to support our personnel from Bicol),” Dumlao said.

“This time, gagawin naman natin, ang mga Central Office personnel naman ang tutulong sa ibang FO personnel natin to double our workforce, at para na rin ma-address yung issue ng fatigue na maaaring nararanasan ng mga disaster response frontliner natin dahil na rin sa sunod-sunod na bagyong tumama sa Northern Luzon at Bicol (personnel from the Central Office will help our other field office personnel to double our workforce, to also address fatigue that may be experienced by our disaster response frontliners due to the successive typhoons that hit Northern Luzon and Bicol),” she added.

As of Wednesday, the DSWD has extended over PHP156 million in humanitarian aid to families affected by Typhoon Nika (Toraji), Ofel, and Pepito.

On top of this aid, Dumlao said the DSWD is ready to provide more, including financial aid, in the coming days.

“Following Pepito, makakaasa ang ating mga kababayan na tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang suporta ng ating ahensiya (our countrymen are assured of continuous support from the agency). We are also ready to provide financial aid and other forms of intervention as part of our early recovery efforts, partikular na po sa pinaka-apektadong mga komunidad (particularly in the most-affected communities),” she said. (PNA)