Manila: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has reached a national stockpile of 5 million family food packs (FFPs), marking a milestone in the government's disaster preparedness efforts. DSWD Assistant Secretary Leo Quintilla announced the achievement under the agency's Buong Bansa Handa (BBH) program.

According to Philippines News Agency, Quintilla highlighted that the milestone exemplifies the success of the BBH program, which expanded the country's disaster logistics network. This expansion included additional hubs and spokes, upgraded warehousing facilities, automated food pack production, and strengthened partnerships with the private sector, non-government organizations, and civil society organizations.

"The DSWD's stockpile is strategically prepositioned nationwide. The inventory is continuously replenished to ensure the quality and availability of relief supplies throughout the year, allowing immediate deployment to disaster-hit areas," Quintilla emphasized. He also mentioned that the DSWD employs a barcode-based inventory system to monitor the production, storage, distribution, and expiration of family food packs.

Quintilla explained, "Each food pack is assigned a barcode that contains information on its production and expiration dates. Through our inventory management system, we can easily track where the food packs are stored and ensure that those nearing expiration are prioritized for immediate distribution."

The agency is committed to further strengthening its disaster response capabilities. "We will continue to invest in innovation, modernize our disaster response systems, and strengthen our operational capabilities to deliver faster, more efficient, and more responsive assistance to Filipinos affected by emergencies and calamities," Quintilla stated.