The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will continue looking for ways to improve further the delivery of services to families affected by disasters and other emergencies taking off from a record-breaking accomplishment of being able to deliver close to 8 million family food packs (FFPs) in 2024 alone.

In an interview on Monday (January 13) over PTV’s Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said this unprecedented and unexpected disaster response in 2024 just means that “handang-handa at kayang-kaya natin na tugunan ang pangangailangan at tawag ng panahon kahit pa sunod-sunod ang mga kalamidad na ito.”

In 2024, the DSWD released a total of 7,890,964 boxes of FFPs serving 6,864,753 families affected by various disasters.

Aside from the FFPs, the DSWD chief mentioned that the agency also provided financial aid to those most affected by disasters through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) and the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP).

Secretary Gatchalian said the Department’s disaster response was in line with the instruction of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr to ensure prompt assistance to disaster-affected individuals and families.

The DSWD chief said that despite the positive feedback of the public about the disaster response of the Marcos administration based on the surveys conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) and the Pulse Asia,  the agency continues to find means to better deliver its services.

“The survey results indicated that a clear majority of the Filipino public have expressed their approval to the disaster response of the government that is mabilis at sapat,” Secretary Gatchalian said.

The President, however wants a faster and stronger disaster response, according to Secretary Gatchalian.

Heeding the instruction of the chief executive, Secretary Gatchalian said the DSWD has strengthened its food pack prepositioning in line with the “Buong Bansa Handa” program.

“365 days a year, hindi na tayo naghihintay ng sakuna, tuloy-tuloy ang pagre-repack natin at pag-preposition,” Secretary Gatchalian pointed out.

The DSWD chief said the repacking and prepositioning of food packs are continuously being done in the Department’s more than 1,000 warehouses composed of major food hubs in strategic locations nationwide, down to the city level and last mile-warehouses in remote areas.

“Para masiguro natin kapag tumama ang kalamidad, kahit saan, ready tayo to respond ,” Secretary Gatchalian told the program anchors of Bagong Pilipinas.

With 2025 just starting, Secretary Gatchalian said the Department will tirelessly work to ensure a prompt, sustained, and quality disaster response under the leadership of the Marcos administration, especially as the country faces the effects of climate change. (GDVF)