As part of its proactive approach to disaster management, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its Field Offices (FO) in Northern Luzon, continues to preposition family food packs (FFPs) and other relief items for augmentation support to local government units (LGUs) along the track of Typhoon Julian.
“Two weeks ago ay nakapagpadala tayo ng FFPs in Batanes kaya mayroon tayong naka-preposition na food packs na nasa mahigit 17,000 [boxes]. ‘Yan po ay madaling maa-access ng ating mga kababayan,” DSWD Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao said in an interview on Monday (September 30) over Super Radyo DZBB’s One on One: Walang Personalan.
The DSWD FO 2-Cagayan Valley, through its Disaster Response and Management Division (DRMD), Regional Quick Response Teams (QRTs), and Social Welfare and Development (SWAD) Team, maintains close monitoring of weather updates and other pertinent information through all available sources.
According to Asst. Secretary Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, all teams are on standby for possible activation.
“Yun namang mga karagdagan na food packs, mayroon din po tayong naka-preposition sa ating provincial warehouse sa Cagayan. Anytime po na pwede na tayong maglayag o magpadala ng mga karagdagan ay we will send augmentation support immediately,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao said.
The agency’s FO in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) also ensured the availability of food and non-food items (FNIs), as well as transportation and communication equipment for the delivery of relief supplies to areas that will be affected by the weather disturbance in the region.
“We are also monitoring dito sa regional office natin dito sa CAR because apektado din ang Apayao, gayundin sa Kalinga in Mountain Province but so far, wala pa namang report na mga affected,” the DSWD spokesperson pointed out.
The DSWD FO 1-Ilocos Region has also prepositioned FFPs in Ilocos Norte in response to PAGASA’s advisory which identified the province as a potential area to experience heavy rains and strong winds.
“Likewise, we are also monitoring Ilocos Norte dahil our regional office reported yesterday na medyo malakas din ang ulan at red alert din sa probinsiya,” the DRMG official said.
Asst. Secretary Dumlao said there are no reports yet of affected families in Ilocos Norte.
To date, FO-1 has a stockpile of 75,084 boxes of FFPs; FO-2 has 123,900 food packs; and FO-CAR has 64,313 FFPs.
Based on the September 30 report of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Operations Management, Information and Communication (DROMIC), the agency maintains more than Php804.6 million worth of stockpile and standby funds for Julian-affected families.
DSWD Continues Prepositioning Of Food Packs In N. Luzon For Typhoon Julian-affected Areas
