MALATE, Manila- The Department of Social Welfare and Development MiMaRoPa joins in the celebration of the National Disaster Consciousness Month with the theme, “Kahandaan at Pagtugon sa Sakuna, Tungkulin ng Bawat Isa.”

“In observance of the celebration, DSWD will have the two-day basic life support training for internal staff in partnership with the Philippine Red Cross,” said Disaster Operation Focal Person Sheila Tapia.

The training aims to equip DSWD staff with knowledge, skills and confidence to provide care to victims of disaster such as the proper application of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Aside from the training, the Department has scheduled reorientation on the guidelines of Regional Quick Response Team (QRT) for disaster preparedness and management, Tapia added.

QRT is one of the disaster management components that enhances the coordination and reporting of disaster related-responses internally. It is constituted of DSWD regional, provincial and municipal-based staff.

According to the 2015 Listahanan database- a mechanism to identify who and where the poor are, there are 35,858 poor households in Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan (MiMaRoPa) who experienced displacement due to human induced or natural disasters.

Mostly of them are found in the municipalities of Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro with 2,038 poor households, Boac, Marinduque with 2,034 poor households and San Jose, Occidental Mindoro with poor households 1,694.

Meanwhile, DSWD is set to provide Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) to 119 Typhoon Ruby-affected households in Calatrava, Romblon amounting to 1.1 million pesos this month.

ESA is a cash grant provided to families whose houses are either totally or partially damaged by any form of disaster. It may be released in cash or in the form of construction materials, Tapia said.

Executive Order No. 137 declares the month of July of every year as national disaster consciousness month and institutionalizing the civil defense deputization program to increase the awareness of every Filipino to the ever threatening disasters.###