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1
Rationale

Every year the Philippine population suffers from different types of disasters such as flood, typhoon, social conflict, earthquake, fire and the like. As the primary welfare arm of the government in providing for the care, protection and rehabilitation of those who have the least in life, DSWD has always responded to the needs of the disaster victims, who, more often than not, belong to the least privileged sector of the population.

Guided by the collective experiences of the Units involved in past disaster operations. these guidelines aim at streamlining disaster operations with focus on the responsive management of data and resources.

The DSWD operations Center should be differentiated from the Social Welfare Action Team program or the Social Welfare Contingency Action for Civil Strife (SWELCACS) in that the latter is an arrangement whereby in the event of civil strife, any DSWD staff reports to a nearby DSWD office to provide support to the mitigation, preparedness and emergency services of the local unit while the former is a Center for management of disaster operations as well as monitoring data and resources.

2
Objectives

The following are the objectives of this set of guidelines:

1. To delineate the areas of authority and responsibility of the different units involved in the conduct and monitoring of disaster operations.

2. To ensure the retrieval and relay of accurate, adequate and timely data to and from the different units involved in disaster relief operations.

3. To facilitate prompt and appropriate response by Central Management to the needs of the disaster stricken areas.

Organizational Components and Functions

The flow of information and decisions relative to the DSWD Emergency Operations Center shall run within the framework of the organizational structure hereunder created:

3.1 The Executive Coordinating Committee — This Committee shall be responsible for over-all policy decisions and agency directions during the disaster operations. It shall be headed by the Secretary and the following Senior Officials as members:

3.1.1 Three (3) Undersecretaries
3.1.2 Three (3) Assistant Secretaries
3.1.3 Director, Bureau of Emergency Assistance
3.1.4 Director, Planning and Monitoring Service
3.1.5 Director, Public Affairs and Liaison Service

3.2 The Undersecretary for Operations and Programs Implementation shall act as the Over-All Coordinator. She shall see to the fast implementation of policies and decisions by the respective TASK FORCES and provide feedback to the Secretary on the daily center operations.

3.3 The Assistant Secretary for Plans and Special Operations shall be Field Coordinator where she may need to go to affected areas to assess, monitor and assist if needed the disaster operations in the field. She is expected to work closely with the Over-All Coordinator and team up with her.

3.4 The TASK FORCES — all the Task Forces enumerated herein shall be under the direct supervision of their respective Assistant Secretaries. They shall provide appropriate support during disaster operations as follows:

3.4.1 Task Force on Data Processing and Monitoring — Under the supervision of the Director of Planning and Monitoring Service:

1. Receive reports from the field offices and relay feedback/instructions to the field;
2. Coordinate with the Communications Units in the relay and feedback of accurate and timely data and information.
3. Validate and update data on the extent of damage, assistance extended, number of Evacuation Centers the GOs and NGOs involved in relief operations and problems/concerns related to relief operations;
4. Consolidate, analyze and collate data relative to the relief operations as basis for decisions by the Executive Coordinating Committee; and
5. Prepare a report to the President within 24 hours in the event of a major disaster and henceforth a daily update.

3.4.2 Task Force on Public Information — Under the supervision of the Director for Public Affairs and Liaison Service:

1. Provide disaster data to the media and the public relative to the extent of damage and relief operations undertaken;
2. Register NGOs which signify intention to help in the relief operation including communication facilities tie-ups;
3. Answer/entertain queries from the public; and
4. Provide liaison functions between the DSWD, NGOs media and the general public.

3.4.3 Task Forces on Logistic and Manpower Support Under the general supervision of the Assistant Secretary for Administration:

3.4.3.1 Task Force Commodities and Transportation Under the direction of the Director for Administrative Services:

1. Receive all donations from the government, private or international organizations;
2. Coordinate/link with existing warehouses for the availability of relief commodities needed by the disaster stricken areas;
3. Facilitate transport/delivery of commodities to affected areas;
4. Update the Secretary on the status of commodities received, allocated to the regions, and stock levels of available commodities at the DSWD warehouses;
5. Coordinate/link with concerned field offices for inventory of warehouses and commodities stored thereat and update the Secretary on the matter; and
6. Insure mobility/provide transport facilities to units requiring vehicles.

3.4.3.2 Task Force on Finance — Under the direction of the Finance Director:

1. Facilitate the appropriate and processing of funds for disaster stricken areas;
2. Insure availability of financial support of personnel involved in the disaster operations; and
3. Coordinate with all disaster task forces regarding their financial requirements.

3.4.3.3 Task Force on Manpower Support — Under the direction of the Director of Personnel and Development Service:

1. Provide the manpower requirements of the Task Forces;
2. Facilitate the issuance of Special Orders for employees assigned to monitor, escort to and handle commodities in the field; and
3. Orient personnel and volunteers before assigning them to the disaster stricken areas.

3.4.4 Task Force on Technical Support — Under the supervision of the Director of the Bureau of Emergency Assistance:

1. Provide functional supervision and technical assistance to the affected regions including the required allocation of commodities to said regions;
2. Provide guidance and assistance in the preparation of field reports required at Central Office;
3. Prepare substantive feedback reports to the Secretary as inputs to a comprehensive rehabilitation plan;
4. Conduct rapid audit to identify gaps in service delivery for immediate solution
5. Assist in establishing linkages with GOs and NGOs on resource generation and to strengthen coordination; and
6. Provide technical support in terms of mobilizing and coordinating the Relief and Rehabilitation Committee, from the national to the barangay level.

4
Suggested Operating Guidelines

4.1 Immediately prior to or upon the outbreak of any disaster, the Executive Coordinating committee shall sit en banc and as warranted by reports available, mobilize the required task forces thru their duly designated Heads/Directors;

4.2 Directions shall emanate from the Secretary or her duly designated Undersecretary;

4.3 To maintain the highest efficiency, no official may disrupt any on-going task force operation or activity of a task force member without properly notifying the Heads of the Task Force. In the absence of the Secretary, the highest ranking official shall decide on what action to take during emergency situations where life or property is at stake. A report shall subsequently be submitted to the Secretary on the conditions behind on the decided course of action and the results following the decision;

4.4 During a major disaster, All Task Forces shall automatically operate. A major disaster is defined as one hitting two or more regions;

4.5 Each task force member shall report to his/her designated station on the scheduled shift as assigned or pre-determined by the task force director. In the case where two or more members man a station, a team leader shall be designated who shall be responsible for the team’s output;

4.6 Each team member shall be properly oriented by the team leader or supervisor. Before leaving the station, the outgoing team leader/supervisor shall properly orient the incoming team member/leader;

4.7 If within one hour of the disaster, no information or data has been relayed, the data processing task force shall initiate the contact and generation of such data from the affected area;

4.8 The Over-all Coordinator shall orchestrate the day to day relief operations. Thru the Directors of the respective task forces, she insure the immediate and precise execution of the decisions handed down by the Executive Coordinating Committee and expedite the outputs expected of each task force;

4.9 All task forces shall submit to the Secretary and/or Over-all Coordinator a day to day report on their accomplishments, copy furnished the task force on Data Processing and Monitoring whose duty is to generate and package all pertinent data for appropriate decision by the Executive Committee;

4.10 All Task Forces shall coordinate with the TFDPM whose duty is to come up with complete, validated data pertinent to the relief operations as pre-requisite to the comprehensive rehabilitation plan for the affected areas. A terminal report shall be prepared by the TFDPM upon the conclusion of the relief operations; and

4.11 After every major disaster, the Over-all Coordinator shall meet the Task Force representatives to assess and evaluate the conduct of the relief operations for further improvement of the Disaster Response System.

5
Centers for Operation

5.1 Disaster Operation Center — Legarda Planning & Monitoring Service Tel. Nos. 712-55-47 and 741-05-47

5.2 Commodities/Donations — VROC Villamor Airbase Tel. No. 863-09-77

5.3 Finance — Central Office — Finance Service Director Tel. No. 86-45-54

5.4 Manpower — Central Office — Personnel Dev’t. Service Tel. No. 86-46-59

5.5 Facilities — Central Office/VROC — Administrative Service Tel. No. 86-46-72

5.6 Public Information — Legarda — Office of the Secretary Tel. No. 741-07-36

5.7 Technical Assistance — Bureau of Emergency Assistance Tel. No. 712-55-43

A similar response system shall likewise be installed at the Regional and Provincial/City and Municipal Office.

Adopted: 14 Feb. 1991

(Sgd.) MITA PARDO DE TAVERA, M.D.
Secretary