Manila: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced on Monday that it has distributed over 54,000 family food packs to families impacted by tropical cyclones Luis, Maymay, and the southwest monsoon, commonly known as 'habagat'. This was revealed by DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian during a Palace press briefing.
According to Philippines News Agency, Gatchalian stated, "To date, we've released 54,370 family food packs (FFPs). We expect that number to go up kasi (because) right now we're processing more requests from local government units who are asking for augmentation." He further indicated that approximately PHP1 million worth of financial assistance has been processed, particularly for those who lost family members due to landslides in Cordillera.
As of 6 a.m. Monday, the DSWD has distributed 54,370 FFPs, 2,722 ready-to-eat food boxes, and 1,376 non-food items to affected families and individuals. Additionally, the department has provided PHP928,000 in financial aid through its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program.
Gatchalian noted that the government is maintaining an impressive stockpile of nearly five million family food packs and hundreds of thousands of non-food relief items across more than 1,000 warehouses. This initiative is to ensure immediate relief for communities affected by typhoons and other disasters. He emphasized that this effort aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive to preposition relief supplies ahead of various natural disasters.
To replenish its stockpile, the DSWD produces FFPs daily at the Luzon Disaster Resource Center and the Visayas Disaster Resources Center. This ensures that relief supplies remain available for immediate deployment during disasters. Moreover, under the Buong Bansa Handa (BBH) program, the DSWD has established framework agreements with the private sector. These agreements leverage technical expertise and resources to create a private sector-driven supply chain, allowing prepositioning of goods even in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.
"This (five million) is the largest stockpile the country has had since we started implementing this system," Gatchalian mentioned. In addition to food packs, approximately 245,474 non-food items are also on standby nationwide for immediate deployment to affected communities.
The continued prepositioning of relief supplies aims to ensure rapid assistance to disaster-hit families, supplementing the financial aid provided to typhoon victims. The DSWD is also closely monitoring weather bulletins for potential impacts from Tropical Storm Peilou, which is currently outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility.
