The Army’s 10th Infantry Division (ID) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development in the Davao Region (DSWD-11) have signed a memorandum of understanding to join forces in providing immediate support to disaster-affected areas in the region. Maj. Gen. Jose Eriel Niembra, 10ID commander, said the agreement signed Tuesday aims to fast-track DSWD-11’s disaster response efforts in pre-positioning food and non-food relief items at a storage facility inside the 10ID headquarters in Mawab town, Davao De Oro province. A 230 square-meter facility of the 10ID will also serve as an augmentation to the local government unit’s (LGU) emergency response preparedness measures. ‘The 10ID is not only focused on war fighting but also other aspects of nation-building including disaster response,’ Niembra said in a statement Wednesday, More than pre-positioning relief goods, DSWD-11 Director Vanessa Goc-ong said the agreement would also bolster good relations between the agency and the Philippine Army, including the local government units. ‘I am very confident that this partnership will provide better services to the affected communities and contribute to the overall goal of building more resilient and disaster-prepared communities,” she said

Source: Philippines News Agency