DSWD Responds Swiftly to Assist Davao City Fire Victims

MANILA – Following a devastating fire in Davao City, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has mobilized to provide prompt aid to the affected families. DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian issued instructions to Davao Regional Director Vanessa Goc-Ong to ensure immediate assistance for the fire victims.

According to Philippines News Agency, Director Goc-Ong has been actively coordinating with the Davao City local government unit (LGU) to facilitate resource augmentation. The fire, which occurred at Purok San Vicente, Barangay Leon Garcia on Wednesday morning, has impacted over 300 families.

Initial reports from the DSWD Field Office-11 (Davao Region) indicate that approximately 357 families, or about 1,428 individuals, were affected by the blaze. DSWD personnel are currently on-site conducting interviews to verify the exact number of individuals impacted.

Dumlao further stated that the DSWD, through its Field Office-11, stands ready to assist the LGU in addressing the immediate food and other needs of the survivors. This response is in line with Secretary Gatchalian’s directive to ensure prompt assistance for those affected by disasters and emergencies.

The DSWD’s ongoing relief efforts include preparing family food packs and other non-food items to support the LGU’s resources. The DSWD Davao Regional office currently has over PHP86 million in stockpiles of relief supplies and standby funds, which are readily available for disaster response operations.