Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the agency has prepositioned 6,000 family food packs (FFPs) in the province of Batanes for families that may be affected by tropical storm Dindo.
“Right now, binabantayan namin yung Dindo. Bagamat hindi siya magla-landfall, naaapektuhan niya yung Batanes. In the case of Batanes, we have 6,000 FFPs on the ground in Batanes alone,” Secretary Gatchalian said in a press conference on Monday (August 19) at the agency’s New Press Center in Quezon City.
The DSWD Secretary also ensured the agency is prepositioning relief items in remote areas.
“Kahit tanungin niyo nga si Governor Marilou Cayco, dati wala naman daw nagpe-preposition doon, pero tayo, sa pinakaliblib na probinsya natin ay may prepositioned relief goods tayo,” the DSWD chief emphasized.
The DSWD has been continuously stockpiling and replenishing relief items in the different warehouses in the country.
“We continuously invest in stockpiling. As we speak, pinupuno na naman natin yung mga bodega natin kasi nagamit during Typhoon Carina. Pinupuno na naman ulit natin sila hanggang mabuo natin yung 2 million nationwide,” Secretary Gatchalian pointed out.
According to Secretary Gatchalian, the DSWD, through the Buong Bansa Handa (BBH) program, is preparing year-round for the worst in terms of disaster.
“Kami, 365 days in a year, we are preparing for the worst… Ang tawag sa programa ng DSWD ay BBH. Ibig sabihin, nakapreposition na yung goods natin nationwide,” DSWD chief said.
The BBH establishes two parallel supply chain mechanisms for disaster preparedness and response which enhance the capacity of the Department in meeting the needs of
affected families in various disaster-stricken areas.
The first mechanism features a national and local government-driven supply chain that improves the production capacities and processes of the DSWD’s NROC in Pasay City, the Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) in Cebu, and the warehouse
and storage facilities across the 16 DSWD Field Offices.
For the second mechanism, the Department forges partnerships with established large and small groceries, supermarkets, manufacturers, and distributors to leverage on their technical expertise and resources to create a private sector-driven supply chain. #