ZAMBOANGUITA, Negros Oriental, Philippines — As a pre-emptive measure against natural and man-made disasters, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Central Visayas is pre-positioning relief goods consisting of food and non-food commodities for people in far-flung and hard-to-reach areas.

The agency said it is doing this so that it can immediately distribute the emergency relief goods to residents once the need for this arises given the continuous downpour in the region.

DSWD7 said it hopes to quickly finish pre-positioning the relief goods in hard-to-reach areas, especially the island municipalities and interior towns. Warehouse sites where the goods are to be stored have also been identified to safely and securely accommodate at least 1,000 family packs comprising of food and non-food items per warehouse.

In Cebu, the identified warehouse areas include Tudela to serve the residents of Camotes island, and Sta. Fe for residents of Bantayan island and the municipality of Samboan. In Negros Oriental, the warehouses will be in Mabinay and Pamplona to serve the residents of the interior parts and the cities of Tanjay , Bayawan and Dumaguete. For Bohol, the warehouses will be in the towns of Tubigon, Carlos P. Garcia. and Carmen. A warehouse area in Siquijor has also been identified.

Each family pack contains three kilos of rice, canned goods, noodles, toiletries, and used clothing good for six family members that can be consumed for at least three days.

Other than the pre-positioning of goods, the DSWD 7 Field Office has increased its stockpile of commodities on standby for any eventuality or untoward incident.

It can be recalled that this town was among those hardest hit by tropical storm “Sendong” with 10 barangays and almost 1,000 persons affected by the heavy rains.

Moreover, the heavy rains brought by the devastating storm caused flooding in 125 barangays in the 11 towns of this province, affecting 14,147 families or 70,735 persons. Local government units have put up five evacuation centers in the towns of Sibulan, Valencia and Dumaguete City for the remaining 429 families who are homeless and displaced by the floods.

Total cost of assistance given to Negros Oriental flood victims from the government through DSWD in cash and in kind amounted to P12, 230,566.

Meanwhile, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has declared as permanent danger zone the remote Barangays Malasibog and Paitan in Escalante City, Negros Occidental after experiencing landslides recently. Growing fissures in the ground compelled Mayor Melecio Yap to order the residents to evacuate to safer places last Wednesday.

The two barangays are about five kilometers away from the city proper.

The residents of the area had been told to evacuate before but they refused to do so, the mayor said. There have been slight movements reported in the earth lately in the area and rains have filled fissures in the ground with water, raising concerns that new landslides could occur, the mayor said.

There are 35 families living in the area that has been declared a permanent danger zone. Twenty-nine families with 129 members have already evacuated to the Malasibog Elementary School and the “Diyos Amahan” chapel as Wednesday, Escalante City Social Welfare Officer Lea Juntarsiego said.

Yap said a permanent relocation site for the evacuees was being identified, while the city government was providing them with food assistance at the evacuation sites.

The Escalante Social Welfare Office and General Services Office noted recent soil movements in Paitan and Malasibog, Provincial Social Welfare Officer Liane Garcia said.

The Provincial Disaster Management Team headed by Vicfran Defante will visit the affected barangays to assess the situation.

Meanwhile, at least 70 percent of the water system in Valencia, Negros Oriental has been restored this week after tropical storm “Sendong” ravaged that mountain town and other areas in the province last Dec. 17.

As this developed, Valencia Mayor Ricky Gonzalez disclosed that he has asked the town council to suspend collection of payment of water bills for December and January to allow his constituents to recoup from the devastation left by “Sendong.” The mayor is hopeful the municipal council will approve such request.

This would also allow residents whose water connections have been restored to share for free with their neighbors or other people who still do not have access to water, Gonzalez said.

He admitted that water in Valencia now is not totally clean and safe yet, but once it goes back to normal, the town will resume collection of payment.

The entire town suffered a major setback after floodwaters spawned by the tropical storm washed out its water system, cutting off pipelines and destroying main water sources, some of which are only accessible by foot, such as that in Maiti.

Luckily, the local government was able to immediately procure pipes and other construction materials and began rehabilitation of the damaged water sources as early as Dec. 19.

In the past weeks, the Valencia local government had to bring in water via tanker trucks of the town’s fire department, the Bayawan City local government and private volunteer groups.

Tanker trucks will continue with the delivery of water supply to Valencia constituents until after the town’s water district shall have obtained a 100-percent repair and rehabilitation of the water system, Gonzalez said.

Meanwhile, some 50 Philippine Army soldiers are expected to assist Valencia workers this week in carrying on foot heavy rolls of water pipes to the major water sources that were destroyed by “Sendong.”

It would take at least six people to drag a roll of pipe with a six-hour walk one way to Maiti, the biggest major source of water in Valencia.

Valencia town has been tagged as the hardest hit by “Sendong” of the 10 or more local government units in Negros Oriental. (With reports from PNA)