The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is always ready to provide family food packs (FFPs) and non-food relief items to concerned local government units (LGUs) which were severely affected by the series of typhoons that hit the country recently.

DSWD Secretary Gatchalian said on Tuesday (November 12) the agency’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) has been in a state of readiness even before the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, the first in a series of four storms that severely affected the Bicol Region, CALABARZON, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region and the Ilocos Region.

“The DSWD has always been in a state of readiness with all the boxes of FFPs and non-food relief items being prepositioned in our regional warehouses as well as in those provided by LGUs up to our last mile warehouses,” Secretary Gatchalian said.

Secretary Gatchalian thanked the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) led by Secretary Amenah Pangandaman for the funding support which enabled the DSWD to buy the raw materials for the FFPs as well as non-food items (NFIs) that include family kits, hygiene kits and sleeping kits.

“We thank the DBM for the funding support which the Department use to buy goods and also spend for the transport and mobilization of FFPs and NFI’s from the major production hubs to the spokes or regional warehouses and down to the last mile warehouses,” the DSWD chief said.

The DBM is also set to release additional Quick Response Fund (QRF) and the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) which are part of the DSWD’s recovery efforts to provide cash aid to typhoon-affected families.

Secretary Gatchalian also thanked the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) through the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) Program which have provided volunteers for the production of FFPs in the National Resource Operations Center (NROC) in Pasay City.

Secretary Gatchalian said the four typhoons that recently hit the country showed the whole-of-government approach in action especially in the transport of FFPs and other needed relief goods using both air and naval assets of the Philippine Air Force (PAF), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the Philippine Navy.

The Air Forces of Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia also did their share in helping airlift the relief goods to remote areas, including barangays which became isolated due to landslides.

“So we are now ready for recovery efforts for the provinces affected by Kristine and Marce while we are conducting relief operation all at the same time because President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is using all-of-government approach to support us,” Secretary Gatchalian pointed out.

President Marcos, with the DSWD chief, recently led the distribution of cash aid under the Presidential Assistance for Farmers, Fisherfolk and their Families (PAFFF) in the Bicol and CALABARZON regions.

After the exit of STS Kristine on October 26 after dumping heavy rainfall that submerged Camarines Sur, it was the turn of Severe Tropical Storm Leon to pummel Northeastern Luzon and the island province of Batanes on October 27.

STS Marce later made landfall on November 4 and devastated Cagayan Valley region and six days later, STS Nika unleashed her fury on November 10, causing destruction in the provinces of Aurora, Isabela, Cagayan and Ilocos Norte.#