THE ATENEO De Manila Disaster Response and Management (Dream) Team has started relief operations yesterday, August 20, for Ateneo partner communities affected by rains and flooding brought by Typhoon Maring.
The Ateneo Dream Team, composed of representatives from different organizations and offices in the Ateneo, is mobilized to aid different communities during times of natural calamities.
It is the prerogative of the vice president for social development, Jaime Hofileña, to convene the said team.
The team made an urgent call for cash donations and a list of priority goods yesterday afternoon.
Donations were accepted in the Ateneo Covered Courts from 2 to 7 pm yesterday.
Operations resumed today, August 21, at 8 am and end at 5 pm.
No call for volunteers has been made yet.
According to Hofileña they have also activated the central kitchen of Ateneo Center for Education Development in Commonwealth Elementary School to cook ready-to-eat meals.
“We are looking at helping about 1,500 people with those meals within the next half day,” he added.
The team also has the Psychology Department and the Guidance Counseling Office on standby just in case a call for psychosocial support for the victims is necessary.
Relief operations are handled by members of the Dream Team, members of Ateneo Resident Student Association (ARSA) Central Board and a few members of the Sanggunian.
Partner communities
The team is currently monitoring 16 to 17 communities with the priority communities being Wawa, Malaban and Biñan.
Together with Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan (SLB) and Pederasyon ng Mangingisda at Mamamayan ng Biñan (PMMB), the Office for Social Concern and Involvement (OSCI) is coordinating for relief goods packed in Robinsons Sta. Rosa to be delivered to 800 families in Wawa.
Karl Maquiling of OSCI said in an interview yesterday that the relief goods would reach Wawa by today.
SLB is a non-partisan, Church-based, Jesuit led organization.
PMMB is a community partner of OSCI.
The other communities that are partner communities of OSCI and Council of Organizations (COA), together with 1,200 families in four locations under SLB, are being assessed every half-day.
As of today, Hofileña said that no outright call for rescue has yet been made.
He added that relief packs will hopefully be distributed today, but the bulk will be ready for distribution tomorrow.
Preparations
All current operations of the Dream Team were decided upon in a closed-door meeting that was held yesterday morning at the Aerie function room of Cervini Hall.
The Dream Team was called for after more than three calls for convening was made.
Sonia Araneta, director of the University Communication and Public Relations Office, said that the team goes on a day-by-day evaluation and assessment.
Sanggunian President Dan Remo said that further decisions about the extent and length of the operations will be made in a meeting to be held after operations for the day ended.
In its two days of operations, the team has been facing problems in communicating with partner communities because no representative is in the partner communities 24 hours a day.
Contact persons in the communities also don’t respond immediately.
Student involvement and volunteers
Hofileña mentioned that the team has been receiving lots of calls regarding volunteer opportunities.
Von Cruz, ARSA president, clarified the protocol for volunteers.
He said that initially, the volunteers would be composed of the ARSA Central Board, the Sanggunian top four, representatives from COA, SLB, Ateneo Grade School, Ateneo High School and the Dream Team members.
If these people do not suffice, the ARSA Dormitory Council will be called, then key officers of the Sanggunian, then the ARSA community.
The student body will be notified if the influx of goods requires more people to handle it.
The team wants to avoid an excess of manpower for operations where volunteers would have no job to do.
“I realized that a lot of people wanted to help. There will be a time and place for that; but, as of now, we are [still] in the process of accepting donations,” said Dan Remo.
