The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) heightened its relief operations to reach communities affected by the combined effects of enhanced southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones Luis and Maymay.
“Nakaalerto po ang ating mga disaster response teams sa mga regional offices para agad na makatugon sa mga pangangailangan ng mga lokal na pamahalaan. Sa ngayon po nakapag distribute na po tayo ng family food packs and ready-to-eat-food boxes sa (Disaster response teams in our regional offices are on alert status to immediately respond to the needs of local government units. We have already distributed food packs and ready-to-eat boxes to) affected communities to address their immediate needs,” Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group said in a news release on Thursday.
According to the latest Disaster Response Operations Monitoring, Information, and Communication (DROMIC) report, as of 6 a.m., the DSWD has so far released 1,244 family food packs (FFPs), 266 non-food items (NFIs) and 634 ready-to-eat-food (RTEF) packs to displaced families.
Latest DROMIC monitoring figures indicate that the weather disturbances have affected 26,412 families or 88,738 persons across 290 barangays.
The resource augmentation support has brought the DSWD’s humanitarian assistance to PHP1.79 million for the affected communities in Region 1 (Ilocos Region), Region 2 (Cagayan Valley), Region 3 (Central Luzon), Region 5 (Bicol Region) and Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula).
“We are continuously monitoring sa kung anong nangyayari (the situation) on the ground and of course, the Department works closely with the local government units so we can address emerging needs on the ground, dahil sila po ang first responders sa mga sakuna. At kung sakali mang kailanganin nila ng tulong, nandito po ang DSWD, ready to augment (because they are the first responders. And if ever the LGUs need help, the DSWD is ready to augment),” the DSWD spokesperson said.
To ensure the continuous relief operations under the Buong Bansa Handa (BBH) program, the DSWD maintains nationwide prepositioned supplies of more than 5 million FFPs.
The DSWD also maintains a stockpile of 257,601 NFIs, 349,231 RTEF boxes and 16,038 other food items.
“Patuloy ang ating pamamahagi ng tulong sa ating mga kababayan at tinitiyak ng DSWD na sapat ang ating mga prepositioned goods para sa lahat ng maaapektuhan ng Bagyong Luis at Maymay (The DSWD continues to distribute aid to our countrymen and assures that it has enough prepositioned goods for all that might be affected by Maymay),” Dumlao said.
The DSWD spokesperson assured the public of the agency’s full operational readiness with over PHP6.11 billion available relief resources.
The response operations align with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure immediate and sufficient relief reaches all disaster-affected families and communities without delay.
The DSWD has advised the public to stay updated through official weather bulletins and strictly follow advisory directives from local authorities. (PNA)
