The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its Cagayan Valley regional office, has prepositioned some 10,000 family food packs (FFPs) in the island province of Batanes, which is now under the direct path of Tropical Storm (TS) Goring.

DSWD Field Office-2 (Cagayan Valley) Regional Director Lucia Alan has reported to Secretary Rex Gatchalian that a total of 9,778 FFPs has been prepositioned in Batanes broken down as follows: Basco – 1,306 FFPs; Itbayat- 1,322; Ivana-1,100; Mahatao- 1,094; Sabtang- 1,203; and Uyugan- 1,167 for a total of 7,700 FFPs.

An additional 2,078 food packs were also sent to the Batanes provincial capitol, according to Regional Director Alan.

TS Goring (International Name: Saola) has slightly intensified near Batanes Friday (August 25) morning as another cyclone (Tropical Storm Damrey) has been spotted near the Philippine area of responsibility by the state weather bureau PAGASA.

As of 4 a.m. Friday, Goring was estimated by PAGASA at 220 km east southeast of Basco, Batanes with maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 90 kph.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No.1 remains hoisted in Batanes; the eastern portion of Babuyan Islands (Babuyan Is., Camiguin Is.); the eastern portion of mainland Cagayan (Santa Ana, Gonzaga, Lal-Lo, Gattaran, Baggao, Peñablanca); and the northeastern portion of Isabela (Maconacon, Divilacan, Palanan).

Regional Director Alan also reported to the Disaster Response and Management Group (DRMG) that FO-2 has also prepositioned FFPs to Isabela province coastal municipalities of Divilacan with 1,000 boxes of FFPs; Maconacon with 154; and Palanan with 500.

An additional 1,246 food packs were also sent through boat to Isabela province.

“For Calayan Island, we have prepositioned 2,900 FFPs while 150 FFPs were sent to Barangay Fuga of Aparri, Cagayan,” Director Alan reported.

According to PAGASA, the trough of TS Goring will bring cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms in Cagayan Valley, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR ), and Ilocos Region, which could cause possible flooding or landslides due to moderate with at times heavy rains.

Secretary Gatchalian on Tuesday (Aug. 24) ordered concerned DSWD regional directors to beef up their stockpile of food packs in anticipation of TS Goring.#