An official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported on Thursday (November 14) that the agency has already received the Php875 million Quick Response Fund (QRF) replenishment from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

In the Thursday Media Forum held at the DSWD Central Office’s New Press Center, Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao said the QRF replenishment will enable the agency to sustain its disaster operations from recent, ongoing, and imminent weather disturbances.

“We are very grateful for the DBM because the agency has always favorably acted upon our requests for replenishment. And dahil nga dyan ay naisasagawa ng DSWD ang  ating mandato to provide food and non-food items sa ating mga kababayan na naaapektuhan ng iba’t ibang kalamidad,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, told reporters.

The QRF, as explained by Asst. Secretary Dumlao, is a stand-by fund that can be used for relief and rehabilitation in case of disasters and calamities.

It is allocated to purchase the raw materials for family food packs (FFPs), as well as non-food items (NFIs) such as family, kitchen, hygiene kits; and tents among other relief supplies intended for the consumption and use of disaster-affected families and individuals.

“Yung Quick Response Fund built-in yan na budgetary allocation ng ating ahensya. Ginagamit natin yan bilang stand-by funds para makapag-assist tayo immediately. So isa  ang DSWD sa mga ahensiya ng pamahalaan na merong allocation nito,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao explained.

As a member of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the DSWD has been allocated Php1.75 billion in QRF under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of  2024.

The DSWD is allowed to request for replenishment once obligation has reached 50 percent, according to the DSWD spokesperson.

With the replenishment of the QRF, the Department assured the public that it would continue to provide relief support to local government units (LGUs) to help them meet the needs of their disaster-affected constituents.

“Nakahanda  tayo na tumugon  at tumulong sa mga LGUs as part of our mandate to provide augmentation support para nga yung pangangailangan ng mga disaster-affected communities ay ating agarang maipamahagi,” the DSWD official emphasized.

Continuous disaster ops

In the same media forum, Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao reported that the agency has, so far, released 18,316 boxes of FFPs to families that have been affected by Tropical Cyclones Nika and Ofel.

“Meron na din tayong initial na naipahatid na tulong in the form of FFPs and non-food items at gayundin  ang financial assistance para sa mga disaster-affected families lalong lalo na  sa Aurora province in Central Luzon,” the DSWD official pointed

“Gayundin sa Cagayan, Isabela and Quirino in Region 2 and yung mga affected areas also in Regions 1, 5 and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR),” Asst. Secretary Dumlao said.

The DSWD spokesperson said that as of 6:00 a.m. on November 14, the agency has over 420,000 stockpiles of FFPs in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, CAR, Central Luzon, Bicol Region, and Eastern Visayas.

These regions are along the track of Nika and Ofel, as well as the brewing tropical cyclone ‘Pepito.’

Asst. Secretary Dumlao also reported that an additional 15,000 FFPs have been delivered to Aurora province.

“And then this morning papaalis na rin po yung truck na may kargang family food packs na manggagaling sa NROC. Patungo naman yan ng Quirino province. That’s 25,000 family food packs. Again, it will serve as augmentation support to our LGUs,” the DSWD official said.

The NROC or the National Resource Operations Center in Pasay City is the DSWD’s main production hub for FFPS.

As part of the agency’s intensified prepositioning efforts, 2,400 FFPs were delivered by the Philippine Air Force (PAF) to the island province of Batanes on November 13.

“Continuous yung isinasagawa na reponse operations at gayundin yung pag preposition and pagre-reinforce ng prepositioned goods para matiyak na sunod-sunod at patuloy yung pagtulong natin sa mga naapektuhan at maaapektuhan ng mga bagyo,” the DRMG official pointed out.  # (LSJ)