The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office XI (DSWD XI), through its Disaster Response Management Division (DRMD), conducted a series of technical assistance sessions from April 14 to 16, 2025, to bolster the disaster preparedness and response capabilities of local government units in Sta. Cruz, Malita, Don Marcelino, and Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental.

The activity aimed to harmonize national and local disaster response efforts, enhance data quality, and streamline the processing of relief augmentation during emergencies. Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officers (MSWDOs), Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officers (MDRRMOs), and their designated representatives from the four municipalities actively participated in the orientation.

The orientation covered several key topics vital to strengthening local disaster response mechanisms. These included Memorandum Circular No. 5, series of 2024, which provides the enhanced guidelines on Disaster Response Operations Management and Information and Communication (DROMIC) Reporting; the Family Assistance Card in Emergencies and Disasters (FACED) Guidelines, aimed at improving the tracking and provision of assistance to disaster-affected families; and the standardized procedures for the processing of relief augmentation requests submitted by local government units.

Resource speakers were Lennon A. Remotigue, RSW, Social Welfare Officer II from the Disaster Response Information Management Section (DRIMS), and Joel C. Consuegra, Administrative Officer IV from the Regional Resource Operations Section (RROS), both from DRMD-DSWD XI.

DSWD XI reaffirms its commitment to capacitating LGUs and ensuring timely, accurate, and coordinated disaster response operations in the region.