Amid the looming impact of Severe Tropical Storm (STS) Marce, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assured local government units (LGUs) that the agency has an available stockpile of 1,351,815 boxes of family food packs (FFPs) that can be readily tapped for emergency disaster response, particularly those areas along the track of the latest weather disturbance.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian made this assurance on Tuesday (November 5) in his brief report during the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Preparedness Meeting for Tropical Cyclone Marce held at the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

Undersecretary Diana Rose Cajipe of the DSWD’s Disaster Response and Management Group (DRMG) reported in the meeting that based on the DRMG’s analytics, around 300,000 boxes of FFPs will be needed as Marce brings inclement weather as it approaches Northern Luzon.

“Right now, the total number of family food packs through the predictive analytic tool po ng DSWD sa dadaanan ng Bagyong Marce, 300,000 ang nakahanda natin. Ang tool po na ginagamit ng DSWD, we use this to predict approximately ilan po ang tatamaan, ilang pamilya, and then we would be able to check kung tayo po ay naka-preposition nang tama sa mga lugar na ito,” Undersecretary Cajipe explained.

While the DSWD maintains sufficient stockpiles to sustain the projected demand for relief aid, the DSWD chief also ordered the necessary preparations to expedite the production of FFPs, including the full-activation of the agency’s hubs in Central Luzon.

“Yesterday Secretary Rex Gatchalian already gave instruction, aside from the repacking stations po na nandoon sa Visayas at dito sa Pasay that we also activate dito po sa Central Luzon. Ito po ay para makatulong sa pagtataas natin ng stockpile dito sa bahagi ng Norte,” Undersecretary Cajipe pointed out.

These efforts, according to Undersecretary Cajipe, will allow a much faster production and efficient logistics of FFPs to the families that will possibly be affected by STS Marce, as well as for those severely-battered by STS Kristine and Super Typhoon Leon.

While the DSWD braces for Marce, Undersecretary Cajipe stressed that the agency ensures that the needs of families affected by Kristine and Leon, particularly in Bicol Region, are not neglected.

“Tuluy-tuloy pa rin po ang ating relief operations lalo na sa Bicol Region. Sinisiguro din namin ang pag-provide ng psychosocial support sa mga taong naapektuhan po ng mga recent na kalamidad,” the DRMG official pointed out. (LSJ)