Manila: Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the agency has continually strengthened its disaster preparedness efforts by sustainably prepositioning relief goods and standby funds nationwide, ensuring rapid response to emergencies across the country.
According to Philippines News Agency, Gatchalian, who attended the registration of new Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) members in Castilla, Sorsogon, stated that their agency has maintained continuous stockpiling of food and non-food relief items in nearly 1,000 warehouses nationwide as part of the government's proactive disaster response strategy. Gatchalian reported that the DSWD's national stockpile of Family Food Packs (FFPs) has reached 4.7 million, the largest in the agency's history.
He said the effort reflects the Marcos administration's directive to ensure immediate assistance during disasters, whether large-scale calamities or localized emergencies. He emphasized that disaster preparedness is a daily commitment, not just seasonal, aligning with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s goal to strengthen early-response mechanisms for disasters and climate events like El Ni±o, ensuring assistance is readily available. 'This is our President's vision, to ensure that we can respond quickly, whether the disaster is big or small. So we do not wait for El Ni±o; for us, every day is a day of preparation,' Gatchalian said.
Based on the latest data, DSWD Bicol Director Norman Laurio said that 310,311 family food packs, with an estimated cost of PHP169.46 million, are prepositioned in various warehouses across the region. The agency also maintains a standby fund and relief stockpiles amounting to PHP245.8 million. For non-food relief items, the agency has prepositioned various essential kits, including 3,531 hygiene kits, 1,903 kitchen kits, 1,340 sleeping kits, and 6,314 family kits. An additional 50,232 units of non-food items and raw materials are included, along with 27,715 ready-to-eat food packs. The estimated cost of these non-food relief items is PHP243.5 million.
