The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is employing a three-phase and rights-based approach to ensure that “no internally displaced person (IDP) is left behind” amid multiple calamities.
On Tuesday, Director Maria Isabel Lanada of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Bureau (DRMB) said the Department’s disaster response interventions are broken down into three phases.
“Our country is disaster-prone. The affected families are often suffering from profound disaster fatigue, characterized by exhaustion, despair, and a diminished capacity to cope with ongoing adversity. DSWD operations are facilitated by a systematic, three-phase rights-based response mechanism, anchored on the “Build Back Better” principle that transitions smoothly from life-saving interventions to long-term stability,” she said.
This systematic and rights-based approach to responding to the needs of IDPs ensures that families are comprehensively supported toward recovery, especially for those affected by successive disasters, ranging from tropical storms to earthquakes, she added.
Phase 1: Meeting basic needs
According to the DRMB director, the Phase 1 approach is to respond to the basic rights of the IDPs to life, safety, and subsistence. The first step is to provide food, water, and ensure safe shelter through camp management, and protect the rights of vulnerable IDPs.
“In areas recently ravaged by the Davao and Cebu earthquakes, interventions involved immediate deployment of pre-positioned family food packs (FFP) and ready-to-eat food (RTEF) to provide instant nutrition. Aside from food, the agency provided temporary shelter by setting up and operating safe, sanitary, and gender-sensitive evacuation centers in accordance with Camp Coordination and Camp Management and Internally Displaced Persons protection standards,” the DSWD official said.
To strengthen the initial response of the DSWD, the Department acquired mobile kitchens, mobile command centers (MCCs), and water tankers for potable water upon the instruction of Secretary Rex Gatchalian.
She explained that under Gatchalian’s leadership, the Department embarked on continuous innovations, especially in disaster management.
“That is why, aside from our family food packs (FFPs), ready-to-eat food (RTEF), we have mobile kitchens that provide hot meals to IDPs and water tankers that are now operating in Cebu and Davao disaster operations,” Lanada pointed out.
The MCCs ensure uninterrupted communication with local government units (LGUs) and other government agencies, and are especially helpful when a calamity disrupts regular means of communication.
Phase 2: Early recovery
Lanada also said the DSWD transitions to early recovery efforts when the food, water, safety, and shelter needs of the affected population are already met.
“The crucial step to a disaster operation is to start efforts at recovery. The DSWD helps in providing intervention to assist families toward achieving normalcy and start the process of building back better. The Department utilizes its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) and Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) program to help affected families rebuild their lives,” Lanada stressed.
The ECT is a cash assistance specifically provided to those most affected by disasters and calamities, enabling them to purchase their most pressing post-disaster needs, the DRMB director further explained.
“By injecting monetary resources into the community through the cash assistance, the ECT not only benefits families but also speeds up the economic recovery of the community,” Lanada said.
Phase 3: Restoring well-being
The third phase of DSWD’s disaster operations focuses on helping restore the well-being and psychosocial health of the affected families.
“Calamities cause trauma. Beyond just ensuring food, shelter, and water, the DSWD contributes to that important role of helping those affected cope with the mental strains of a calamity by providing psychosocial support services. Genuine recovery needs to be holistic, addressing the intangible aftermath of disaster. The psychological and emotional impact of losing one’s livelihood, home, and sense of security—typical after large incidents such as the recent tropical storms or the powerful Davao and Cebu earthquakes—needs focused intervention,” Lanada said.
Presently, the DSWD is conducting psychosocial first aid, stress debriefing, and play therapy for the IDPs of the 6.9 magnitude earthquake on September 30 in Northern Cebu. The same psychosocial activities had also been provided in other disaster operations and will be replicated by the social workers for the Davao disaster operations.
“The mental health and psychosocial support services of the Department aim to help disaster-affected Filipinos achieve psychosocial resilience, which includes not only physical healing, but also complete emotional stability and social reintegration,” the DRMB director pointed out.
In all its disaster operations, the three-phase approach is the Department’s guide in responding to the needs of the disaster-affected families and individuals.
“The DSWD, under the dynamic leadership of Secretary Gatchalian, is committed to journey with families and individuals as they experience the effects of calamities and disasters. As directed by the President, the DSWD will ensure the provision of food, water, shelter, protect their rights, and be with them as they recover and rebuild their lives,” Lanada added.
Using a ‘one-DSWD’ disaster response strategy, the Department is conducting simultaneous disaster operations for the earthquakes in Cebu and Davao, as well as in areas struck by tropical storms Paolo, Opong, Nando, and other weather disturbances.
