Two days before the forecasted landfall of Typhoon Ruby, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has intensified its disaster response preparations  as it continues to preposition relief goods at the Local Government Units (LGU) and facilitates evacuation of families fin critical areas.

Based on the latest weather bulletin, ‘Ruby’ is projected to make its first landfall in Eastern Samar on Saturday and will affect Southern Luzon, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, Western, Central, and Eastern Visayas.

Presently, there are 120 evacuation centers in Eastern Visayas and CARAGA, currently serving 6,293 families or 30,494 individuals.

Prepositioned goods

A total of 216,756 family food packs worth P71.4 million are available and prepositioned in DSWD-Field Offices along the typhoon’s path.

Likewise, non-food items amounting to P104 million  are also ready for distribution to LGUs to be hit by ‘Ruby’.

Standby funds amounting to P8.5 million has been earmarked for the purchase of emergency relief supplies, when needed.

To ensure the adequate supply of goods and their speedy distribution to affected families, DSWD has adopted the system of providing LGUs with warehouses bulk goods which they can already repack.

DSWD, in turn, will strengthen its monitoring system to ensure that the relief goods prepositioned at the LGU level will go to rightful beneficiaries.

DSWD-Field Office VIII has currently employed this system, distributing the goods for repacking of the LGUs.

To date, prepositioned goods were delivered to the provinces of Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, and Samar areas with a total of 10,250 sacks of 50-kg rice and 15,000 boxes of canned goods.

Pre-emptive evacuation

DSWD-Field Offices along ‘Ruby’s’ path are now coordinating with LGUs for the pre-emptive evacuation of residents of coastal and low-lying areas.

In Region VI, pre-emptive evacuation was ordered in the municipality of Concepcion, Iloilo for all residents in Baliguian Island.

Likewise, residents in the coastal barangay in Tubajon, Dinagat province are waiting to be evacuated.

The LGUs of Tacloban City, Catbalongan, and Pinabacadao in Samar also conducted pre-emptive evacuation.

DSWD is also coordinating with LGUs for the list of all evacuation centers available at the barangay, municipal, city, and provincial level to facilitate the speedy movement of families in safer areas.

Repacking

As part of its intensified preparations, the Department has also beefed up its repacking of goods.

DSWD is also currently coordinating with some schools in Metro Manila to serve as repacking hubs, similar to what was done at the height of Typhoon Yolanda disaster operations.

Disaster teams

All Quick Response Teams in DSWD-Field Offices along the typhoon’s path are on alert to assess and monitor the extent of the disaster and to help LGUs identify other appropriate services for survivors.

As part of the Department’s strengthened disaster response,   personnel from other DSWD-Field Offices are being mobilized for deployment to assist in disaster operations.

DSWD is also in close coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) , Philippine National Police (PNP), and other volunteers for logistic support in the eventuality of rescue and immediate disaster response.###