DSWD readies P5.55-B aid stockpile

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said on Tuesday it has readied P5.55 billion worth of relief supplies and standby funds as a low-pressure area (LPA) and the southwest monsoon threaten parts of Luzon and the Visayas.

DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene B. Dumlao said the agency has placed its field offices on alert and prepositioned relief goods in areas that may be affected by the weather disturbance, which the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said has a high chance of developing into a tropical cyclone.

The agency said it has more than 4.79 million family food packs (FFPs) available in disaster response hubs, warehouses and storage facilities nationwide for distribution to affected local government units.

Of the total, about 645,000 FFPs are stored at the agency’s Luzon Disaster Response Center in Pasay City, while more than 547,000 are available at the Visayas Disaster Response Center in Mandaue City.

Ms. Dumlao said the DSWD continues to replenish its relief supplies through year-round repacking operations while maintaining disaster response efforts in Mindanao.

The agency said the stockpile includes family food packs, non-food relief items and standby funds that can be mobilized as needed to augment local government response.

PAGASA earlier placed several areas under heavy rainfall advisories as the LPA and the southwest monsoon enhanced rains over parts of Luzon and the Visayas. The state weather bureau said the weather disturbance remains under monitoring for possible development into a tropical cyclone.

The DSWD advised the public to monitor announcements from local government units and weather bulletins as the weather system moves across the country. — Mark Joseph M. Sanchez