The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is ramping up efforts to increase the supply of family food packs (FFPs) in its Field Offices 6 and 7, located in Western and Central Visayas respectively, as the threat of another eruption from Kanlaon volcano looms. DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian has confirmed that starting Sunday, additional FFPs will be dispatched to the regional directors of these offices, Shalaine Lucero and Arwin Razo.
The Disaster Response Management Group’s National Resource and Logistics Management Bureau (DRMG-NRLMB) has set a target to stockpile 100,000 FFPs across Negros Island, which spans both Negros Oriental in Region 7 and Negros Occidental in Region 6. Gatchalian emphasized the urgency of filling the provincial warehouses to capacity, stating that deliveries would begin over the weekend.
Recent updates from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) indicate increasing pressure within the volcano, following the detection of significant ground swelling. This comes after Kanlaon Volcano’s eruption on December 9, 2024, which resulted in a massive plume and prompted Phivolcs to elevate the alert level to 3.
In preparation, Lucero has ordered a review of additional warehouse options to ensure sufficient backup storage for the FFPs. Meanwhile, Razo reported that the DSWD’s warehouse in Bacolod City has the capacity to store up to 50,000 food pack boxes and is exploring further storage solutions with local government units.
Gatchalian has directed the DRMG-NRLMB to ensure that by Monday, 40,000 FFPs are delivered to Negros Oriental and another 40,000 to Negros Occidental, in addition to the existing stockpiles held by Field Offices 6 and 7. He stressed the importance of maximizing the storage capacity on both sides of Kanlaon to be fully prepared for any eventuality.