The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has placed its Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) on full alert to respond to emergencies caused by the southwest monsoon or habagat and a low-pressure area (LPA).
“We are ensuring that even on government work suspension, our frontline disaster response personnel across the country are on standby and closely monitoring the situation everywhere. This is crucial so we can send help immediately where it is much-needed,” Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DRMG said on Monday.
The DSWD has over 2 million family food packs (FFPs) prepositioned in warehouses nationwide, ready for immediate distribution. It also prepared 116,858 ready-to-eat food (RTEF) boxes stored in key ports for stranded passengers due to suspended sea travel and evacuees awaiting community kitchens.
Additionally, the agency has 313,197 non-food items (NFIs), including family kits, hygiene kits, kitchen sets, blankets, and modular tents, for displaced families in evacuation centers.
Dumlao emphasized the ongoing coordination between the DSWD and local government units (LGUs) under the directives of Secretary Rex Gatchalian.
“We will see to it that we will act fast to augmentation requests from our LGUs. Ang mahalaga, gaya nga ng laging binabanggit ng ating Pangulo [Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.], walang Pilipinong magugutom sa gitna ng sakuna,” she said.
As a member of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), DSWD is coordinating with PAGASA and other agencies for updates on weather disturbances.
As of 8 a.m. Monday, PAGASA reported the LPA at 670 km east northeast of Virac, Catanduanes, with the southwest monsoon affecting Central and Southern Luzon, Visayas, and northern Mindanao. Flood advisories have been issued in 13 regions.
“We are urging our kababayans to be vigilant and heed all orders from their local government units for their safety,” Dumlao added.