COMMUNITY SUPPORT. At the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s National Resource Operations Center in Pasay City, volunteers are busy assembling boxes to be packed with food for disaster victims. This center, previously known as the Villamor Air Base Relief Operations Center, is a hub for storing donations and relief supplies. (Photo by Joan Bondoc/PNA)
MANILA – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has assured the public that it is well-prepared to support families potentially affected by the unrest at Mt. Kanlaon on Negros Island. DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian announced that the department has stockpiled over 1.4 million family food packs (FFPs) across Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and adjacent regions.
According to Gatchalian, Western Visayas holds 105,857 FFPs, while Central Visayas has 84,537 FFPs ready in various warehouses. He emphasized the department’s readiness to respond swiftly, stating, “We have instructed our regional directors to work closely with local government unit leaders. The DSWD is fully prepared to assist evacuees and ensure that all forms of aid reach them as quickly as possible.”
DSWD field offices have been placed on high alert and are ready to provide additional support as needed. In addition to food, the department has also prepositioned non-food items including kitchen kits, family kits, sleeping kits, hygiene kits, and laminated sacks.
Gatchalian detailed the value of these supplies, noting that Western Visayas has over PHP57 million in non-food items and PHP217,604 in other food items, while Central Visayas has PHP41 million in non-food items and PHP1.64 million in other food items.
As of Monday at 4 p.m., the DSWD reported a total of PHP2.23 billion in FFP stockpiles and standby funds, ready to support local government units affected by the potential eruption of Mt. Kanlaon.
Gatchalian also called on communities near Mt. Kanlaon, especially those within a six-kilometer radius of the volcano’s summit, to heed the emergency evacuation notices issued by their local government units. (PNA)