#ReliefPH: How to help those affected by monsoon rains

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is now accepting donations for the families affected by the continuous heavy downpour brought about by the southwest monsoon.

As of 6 am on Sunday, August 14, at least 14,745 families or about 69,000 people have been displaced, according to the DSWD, which heads the response cluster of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

At least 79 evacuation centers were opened in affected areas in Luzon, serving 3,888 families in the National Capital Region (NCR), Central Luzon, and Calabarzon. Meanwhile, at least 16,483 families that are being served by the agency are outside evacuation centers.

National Capital Region

Donors in Metro Manila can give their donations to the DSWD at the following offices:

• National Resource Operations Center (NROC)

Chapel Road, Pasay City
Telephone number: (02) 852-8081

• DSWD-NCR

389 San Rafael St cor Legarda St, Manila
Telephone number: (02) 733-0010 to 14 

Response teams are ready to accept donations.

Outside Metro Manila

Outside Metro Manila, the public can donate at the nearest DSWD field office in their area or to their local government units (LGUs).

“They (the public) can directly go to any evacuation center in their locality and distribute their donations. The social workers in the evacuation centers can assist them. They may give clothes, medicines, hygiene kits, food, or hot meals,” DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo said.

Don’t hesitate to ask for DSWD’s help

Taguiwalo thanked the generous donors.

“Kailangan po namin talaga ang tulong ng bawat isa sa atin para mapalawig pa natin ang tulong para sa mga kababayan nating biktima ng mga kalamidad. Makakakaasa kayo na ang mga donasyon ninyo ay maipaparating sa kanila,” Taguiwalo said.

(We need the help of everyone to further expand our assistance for our fellow countrymen who are affected by disasters. We assure you that your donations will reach the rightful beneficiaries.)

She reiterated that affected families should not wait for social workers to reach out to them. They can approach the DSWD field office nearest them or their LGUs.

“Huwag po tayong mag-atubiling lumapit para humingi ng tulong kung tayo ay biktima. Sa dami po minsan ng mga apektadong tao ay may nakakaligtaan ang ating gobyerno.”

(Do not hesitate to ask for help. Often, due to the large number of victims, there are some families who may not be reached immediately.)

Agos Alert Map

Those who need relief goods can alert Rappler’s Agos disaster information management platform via Twitter – tag @MovePH or tweet with #ReliefPH. The public can also send an SMS, text 2929 for Smart and Sun subscribers, or directly post on the Agos map. 

Agos is a collaborative platform that combines top-down government action with bottom-up civic engagement to help communities mitigate risks and deal with climate change and natural hazards. – Rappler.com