The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Disaster Response Management Bureau (DRMB) has directed its counterparts, the Disaster Response Management Divisions (DRMDs), in all the agency’s Field Offices nationwide to activate and reinforce various disaster response protocols as Super Typhoon (ST) ‘Nando’ intensifies as it approaches Luzon island.
Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) said this directive comes in anticipation of the possible escalation of tropical cyclone wind signals to Signal No. 5 by Monday, based on the forecast of PAGASA.
“This is to ensure that all food and non-food items are ready for distribution, as well as the evacuation centers for our countrymen who may be displaced by Nando,” Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, said in Filipino.
The DSWD is the lead agency in the three clusters under the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
The DSWD-led clusters include the Food and Non-Food Items (FNI), Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM), and the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Protection.
“In line with the President’s commitment to ensure that no Filipino family goes hungry during times of disaster, the DSWD assures the public that FNIs are already prepositioned in strategic areas,” Dumlao said.
“Families who may need to evacuate should not worry because the government, through the DSWD, is fully prepared to respond to their needs and extend assistance to all those who may be affected,” she added.
