The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has activated its Quick Response Teams (QRT) in regions along the track of Tropical Storm ‘Basyang’ which is expected to landfall tomorrow morning in the CARAGA Region.
As of today’s 10am report from the DSWD Disaster Response Assistance and Management Bureau (DReAMB), tropical storm warning signal number 1 is hoisted over Southern Leyte, Bohol, Cebu, Siquijor, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Camiguin, Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, and Bukidnon, while signal number 2 is raised in Surigao del Sur.
The public is advised to undertake precautionary measures due to possible flooding and landslides that may occur in the said areas because of moderate to heavy rains Basyang brings.
Meanwhile, the DSWD and its Field Offices (FOs) are now coordinating with their local disaster risk reduction and management offices to ensure that there are enough relief resources prepositioned in DSWD warehouses.
Currently, the Department maintains 410,835 Family Food Packs (FFPs), available food and non-food items (FNIs) amounting to P476,772,764.23, and standby funds amounting to P519,268,364.66.
Moreover, the DSWD-MIMAROPA has a stockpile of 28,156 FFPs prepositioned in regional warehouses and identified geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA)/critical areas, while the DSWD-CARAGA has 11,166 FFPs and non-food items such as blankets, dignity kits, laminated sacks, malong, mosquito nets, plastic mats amounting to P3,807,172.24 available for augmentation.
“We assure the public that the DSWD is prepared to face the effects of storm Basyang. We have already coordinated with our field offices and they ensured us that there are sufficient relief items and mode of transportation for the delivery of goods in the areas that will be hit,” assured DSWD Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Emmanuel A. Leyco.
“We advise possible affected residents to remain vigilant and to continue to coordinate with their local disaster response offices for important advisories and preparatory measures for the landfall of Basyang,” he added. ###
