Family Fooid Packs (DSWD photo)
MANILA – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its Field Offices (FO) in northern Luzon, has prepositioned family food packs (FFPs) and other relief items for augmentation support to local government units (LGUs) along the track of Typhoon Julian.
“Two weeks ago ay nakapagpadala tayo ng FFPs in Batanes kaya mayroon tayong naka-preposition na food packs na nasa mahigit 17,000 [boxes]. ‘Yan po ay madaling maa-access ng ating mga kababayan (Two weeks ago, we already sent FFPs in Batanes so we already have prepositioned food packs of at least 17,000 boxes. That could easily be accessed by our countrymen),” DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao said in a radio interview.
Based on the latest bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), ropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 4 has been hoisted over Batanes, Babuyan Island, and Calayan Island as Typhoon Julian moves over Balintang Channel.
TCWS No. 3 hoisted over the rest of Babuyan Islands and the northeastern portion of mainland Cagayan (Santa Ana) while the rest of mainland Cagayan, Apayao, and Ilocos Norte are under TCWS No. 2.
Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Abra, Kalinga, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Benguet, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Aurora, the northern and eastern portions of Nueva Ecija (Cuyapo, Rizal, Laur, Pantabangan, Science City of Muñoz, Gabaldon, Carranglan, San Jose City, Lupao, Talugtug, Bongabon, Llanera, Talavera, Palayan City, General Mamerto Natividad), and Polillo Islands are under TCWS No. 1.
Dumlao, assistant secretary for Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG), said their FO in Cagayan Valley, through the latter’s Disaster Response and Management Division (DRMD), Regional Quick Response Teams (QRTs), and Social Welfare and Development (SWAD), is closely monitoring the weather updates other pertinent information through all available sources.
“Yun namang mga karagdagan na food packs, mayroon din po tayong naka-preposition sa ating provincial warehouse sa Cagayan. Anytime po na pwede na tayong maglayag o magpadala ng mga karagdagan ay we will send augmentation support immediately (About the additional food packs, we also have prepositioned in our provincial warehouse in Cagayan. Anytime there is a need to sail or send for more, we will send augmentation support immediately,” she said.
She also ensured that the FO in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) has available food and non-food items (FNIs), as well as transportation and communication equipment for the delivery of relief supplies to areas that will be affected by the typhoon in the region.
The DSWD FO 1-Ilocos Region, she said, has also prepositioned FFPs in Ilocos Norte.
To date, FO-1 has a stockpile of 75,084 boxes of FFPs; FO-2 has 123,900 food packs; and FO-CAR has 64,313 FFPs.
Based on the Sept. 30 report of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Operations Management, Information and Communication (DROMIC), the agency maintains over PHP804.6 million worth of stockpile and standby funds for families to be affected by Typhoon Julian. (PNA)
