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 announced that it is well-prepared to assist families potentially affected by the unrest at Mt. Kanlaon on Negros Island. DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian confirmed that the department has stockpiled over 1.4 million family food packs (FFPs) across Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and adjacent regions.
According to the latest figures, Western Visayas holds 105,857 FFPs, while Central Visayas has 84,537 FFPs ready in various warehouses.
Secretary Gatchalian emphasized the department’s readiness, stating, “We have instructed our regional directors to work closely with local government unit leaders. We are fully prepared to support evacuees and ensure that all necessary assistance reaches them promptly.”
He also ordered all DSWD field offices to remain on high alert and be prepared to provide additional support as needed.
In addition to food, the DSWD has also prepositioned various non-food items including kitchen kits, family kits, sleeping kits, hygiene kits, and laminated sacks. In Western Visayas, these non-food items are valued at over PHP57 million, with an additional PHP217,604 in other food items. 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.
Secretary Gatchalian encouraged residents, especially those living within a six-kilometer radius of Mt. Kanlaon’s summit, to heed the emergency evacuation notices issued by their local governments. (PNA)