MORE than P2 million in aid has so far reached families and individuals hard hit by the combined effects of tropical depressions “Mirasol” and “Nando” enhanced by the southwest monsoon on habagat.
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assistant secretary and concurrent head of the Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) Irene Dumlao said the aid consisted of 3,872 family food packs (FFPs) and non-food items such as family kitchen and sleeping kits, as well as laminated sacks.
“These relief items have already reached our disaster-hit kababayans (countrymen) in the provinces of Quirino, Nueva Ecija, Camarines Sur, Capiz and Iloilo whose local government units (LGUs) have coordinated with us for additional supplies to support their local response operations,” said Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson.
Based on a 6 a.m. report of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Operations Information Communication (DROMIC), the combined effects of Mirasol, Nando, and the habagat have affected a total of 31,626 families or 113,094 people in 297 barangays in Regions 1 (Ilocos Region), 2 (Cagayan Valley), 3 (Central Luzon), 5 (Bicol Region), 6 (Western Visayas), 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
In terms of continuous disaster preparedness amid Nando, the DSWD and concerned LGUs ramped up coordination for timely distribution of relief aid.
This was confirmed by DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian in his social media post over the weekend.
“Just got off the phone with Governor Ronald Aguto of Batanes. I assured him that following the directive of the President, 22,000 family food packs have been pre-positioned in various warehouses in Batanes, ready to be deployed anytime. We prepared these months ago as part of our Buong Bansa Handa Program,” Gatchalian said in his post.
Under this program, the DSWD ensures that there are prepositioned supplies in close to 1,000 designated warehouses nationwide ahead of any disaster or emergency.
The DSWD maintains P1.5 billion in standby funds and stockpiles of food and non-food items across Field Offices nationwide.
The DSWD’s disaster response equipment such as the mobile command center, mobile kitchen, mobile water units, and water tankers, among others, can be tapped for disaster response at any given time.
