Davao city: The Department of Social Welfare and Development office in Davao Region (DSWD-11) has placed its disaster response teams on high alert and prepositioned over 182,600 family food packs (FFPs) to ensure immediate relief following the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that shook Davao Region and neighboring areas.

According to Philippines News Agency, DSWD-11 has prepared a standby fund of PHP3 million in addition to the FFPs to support affected local government units (LGUs). The agency has also stockpiled 26,938 packs of ready-to-eat food and 18,675 non-food items to aid the affected populations.

The prepositioned FFPs are distributed across the region's provinces: 26,291 for Davao de Oro, 15,949 for Davao Oriental, 13,614 for Davao Occidental, 7,074 for Davao del Norte, and 6,208 for Davao del Sur. "The agency is actively coordinating with LGUs and partner agencies to monitor the ongoing situation on the ground," the agency stated.

DSWD-11 officials met with the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) to immediately mobilize disaster response protocols. Regional Director Rhuelo Aradanas ordered the establishment of an agency Command Center tasked with around-the-clock monitoring, accelerating data collection, and streamlining communication with LGUs and the RDRRMC Operations Center.

Frontline teams from Provincial Operations Offices and the Disaster Response Management Division have been deployed to conduct rapid on-the-ground assessments and validation in affected communities. "The agency continues to monitor the situation closely and coordinate with RDRRMC member agencies to ensure the seamless delivery of services and aid to those in need," Aradanas said.

DSWD-11 remains on high alert, with emergency auxiliary services and relief resources on standby for immediate deployment.