The Department of Social Welfare and Development now has more than two million boxes of family food packs (FFPs) ready for augmentation to local governments units needing assistance for their disaster operations.
DSWD Assistant Secretary for Disaster Response Management Group Irene Dumlao said the two million boxes are so far the highest number of FFPs prepositioned in the agency’s warehouses nationwide.
“The FFPs are continuously being produced to ensure availability of relief goods whenever a disaster or emergency occurs,” said Dumlao, who is also the agency’s spokesperson.
Of the two million, about 200,000 boxes of FFPs are in the DSWD’s National Resource Operations Center located in Pasay City.
In the Visayas, the DSWD’s Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) in Mandaue City, Cebu has a total of 247,765 FFPs ready for distribution.
Aside from the two main hubs, the DSWD also manages storage facilities in the different regions.
“We reiterate that disaster preparation in the DSWD is year-round. The replenishment of FFPs is part of the proactive measure being taken by the DSWD. We always ensure that there are enough FFPs,” Dumlao said.
LGUs are the first responders in disasters and calamities as stipulated in Republic Act No. 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010.