The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) quick response teams in areas along the path of tropical depression (TD) ‘Mirasol’ are on standby to assist local government units (LGUs) that will be affected by the latest weather system in the country.
“Our frontline disaster response personnel especially in areas that have been identified to be affected by TD Mirasol are closely monitoring the situation, so that we can send help immediately where it is much-needed,” said Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) on Wednesday.
Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, said the DSWD has 2,578,821 boxes of family food packs (FFPs) prepositioned in agency warehouses nationwide, ready to be tapped to make way for timely relief operations.
This is complemented by the 114,623 ready-to-eat food (RTEF) boxes intended for those who may possibly get stranded due to suspended sea travel.
The RTEFs will also serve as an immediate food source for evacuees, ensuring that their basic needs are met while the LGUs work to establish community kitchens.
“We also have 313,064 non-food items (NFIs) such as blankets, family, hygiene, kitchen kits and modular tents that we can provide for those who will be urged to take temporary shelter in evacuation centers,” Dumlao said.
The DRMG official said tight coordination between the DSWD and LGUs continues in line with the directives of Secretary Rex Gatchalian.
“We will act fast to augment requests from our LGUs. This is important for us to make sure that the resources of the local governments are quick and sufficient as the very frontline disaster responders to their disaster-hit constituents. The important thing is, as our President always mentions, no Filipino will go hungry in the middle of a disaster,” Dumlao said.
The DSWD, as member-agency of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), will be coordinating for any crucial update on the impact of TD Mirasol particularly with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) – Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
As of 8:00 AM of September 17, TD Mirasol has been located traversing northern Luzon after making a landfall in Aurora province, according to DOST-PAGASA.
“We are urging our kababayans to be vigilant and heed all orders from their local government units for their safety,” Dumlao said.
