The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Wednesday said it is ready for the impact of weather disturbances in Eastern Visayas with the prepositioning of 152,611 family food packs (FFPs).
DSWD Eastern Visayas regional information officer Jonalyndie Chua said they have been beefing up their stocks ahead of rainy season.
“DSWD is always ready to respond. We have been monitoring the situation and coordinating with affected local government units,” Chua told the Philippine News Agency.
The stock of food supplies and non-food items worth PHP141.17 million will ensure faster delivery of relief goods in case of severe flooding and other disasters, she said.
These FFPs are stored in warehouses in Allen and Biri towns in Northern Samar; Jipapad, Taft, and Guiuan in Eastern Samar; the DSWD regional resource operations center (RROC) in Palo, Leyte; and Sogod, Southern Leyte.
Other stockpiles are in Almagro and Santo Niño in Samar and Naval, Maripipi, and Kawayan in Biliran province.
Each FFP contains six kilos of rice, four cans of corned beef, four cans of tuna flakes, two cans of sardines, five sachets of coffee, and five sachets of cereal drinks.
Among the prepositioned items are ready-to-eat food packs at the DSWD RROC to ensure that food supplies are available and easily accessible in times of crisis.
“By stockpiling these essential food supplies in advance, the agency can provide and respond swiftly to those in need. This initiative highlights the department’s commitment to ensuring that disaster-affected families and individuals receive food aid quickly and efficiently,” Chua said.
The DSWD has also prepared 29,545 non-food items and a standby fund of PHP3 million.
Since last week, authorities have been issuing flood advisories for Eastern Visayas due to the impact of Severe Tropical Storm Crising.
Two more cyclones, Tropical Storms Dante and Emong, are currently threatening to dump more rains in parts of Luzon and the Visayas. (PNA)