DSWD readies 3M food packs

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THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has positioned over 3 million family food packs (FFPs) across 935 warehouses nationwide in anticipation of Tropical Cyclone Crising.

Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said on Wednesday, July 16, that the DSWD is working closely with local government units (LGUs) in high-risk areas like Palawan, Camiguin, Southern Leyte, Surigao del Norte, and Dinagat Islands to ensure fast and targeted delivery of aid.

“Rest assured that the agency’s stockpiles are not only abundant but also closest to communities that will need it,” Dumlao said.

Beyond the food packs, the DSWD has also stockpiled P773 million worth of non-food items, including hygiene kits, water containers, and emergency shelter materials for evacuation centers.

These efforts fall under the agency’s “Buong Bansa Handa” program, which maintains government and private sector-driven supply chains to ensure a steady flow of relief goods, especially during the rainy season.

The program operates through two key supply chains, with the first one sourcing from the accelerated production of FFPs at the National Resource Operations Center (NROC) in Pasay City and the Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) in Mandaue City.

The second supply chain is led by the private sector, where DSWD has collaborated with various retailers, manufacturers and distributors to facilitate rapid procurement of relief supplies.

This approach proved effective during the consecutive storms in 2024, enabling the agency to quickly access pre-packed relief goods from partners.

“Year-round, we commit to the daily production of new boxes of family food packs so that even with continuous distribution, we won’t run out,” Dumlao said.

“All hands are on deck to ensure these supplies are dispersed and made accessible for immediate distribution to our disaster-affected communities,” she ended.

Sorsogon residents told prepare for TD Crising

Residents of Sorsogon province are advised to closely monitor Tropical Depression Crising and its potential effects of flooding, landslides and other hazards.

Raden Dimaano, chief of the Sorsogon Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said on Wednesday, July 16, that Crising is expected to bring moderate to heavy rain until Friday.

During the period, the province could receive a total of 50 to 100 millimeters of rainfall.

Aside from Crising, the southwest monsoon (habagat) will also bring strong to gale-force gusts over the entire Bicol Region on Thursday (July 17) and Friday (July 18), according to the weather bureau.

Dimaano said city and municipal local disaster risk reduction and management offices should closely monitor high-risk areas, review contingency plans, and disseminate information to the public, especially in vulnerable areas.

Those involved in fishing activities and motorists traveling along the Maharlika Highway should take precautionary measures and remain vigilant.

Small vessels, including motorized bancas, may face significant risks due to strong winds and rough sea conditions in the eastern section.

In its tropical cyclone bulletin issued at 11 a.m., the weather bureau said Crising was estimated at 725 km east of Virac, Catanduanes, with maximum sustained winds of 45 km per hour near the center, gusts of up to 55 kph, and it is moving westward at 35 kph.

WITH PNA