DSWD-6 sends help to oil spill-affected families in Antique

By Jennifer P. Rendon 

A day after the oil spill from Oriental Mindoro was reported to have reached Caluya, Antique, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Region 6 already mobilized its resources to help the affected families.

Atty. Carmelo Nochete, DSWD-6 regional director, immediately ordered the dispatch of 1,000 family food packs worth P541,000 for Caluya town, especially the three villages where the oil patches landed.

“We are one with Antique Provincial Government and Caluya local government in their pursuit to ease the effects of the oil spill on the affected families. The DSWD will always support them to ensure immediate relief and recovery of those affected,” Nochete said.

He added that the agency is closely coordinating with the Antique provincial government for the response operations.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard has committed to help in the fast hauling of the goods so that aid reaches the families fast.

Records of the DSWD-6’s Disaster Response Management Division (DRMD) show that an estimated 70 families composed of 350 persons are affected.

Nochete said validation is still being done to assess the number of affected families.

He also assured that the agency has a sufficient stockpile of goods at its warehouse and prepositioned sites in Western Visayas for any eventuality that may happen.

On Saturday, Judith Tanate-Barredo, DSWD-6 Disaster Response Management Division chief, represented the agency in a meeting with other government agencies on response operations for Caluya, Antique.

Over the weekend, the Coast Guard District – Western Visayas reported that the oil spill landed in three barangays in Caluya;

* Sitio Sabang in Barangay Tinogboc (1 km of its shoreline)

* Liwagao island in Barangay Sibolo (2 kilometers); and

* Sitio Tambak in Barangay Semirara (2 kilometers).