The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office 7 – Central Visayas assured the public that it has enough goods and stocks ready to be deployed in case of major disasters.

According to DSWD 7 Regional Director Shalaine Marie S. Lucero, the Department has prepositioned 46,375 Family Food Packs worth PHP 33.4 million and 7,737 Non-Food Items worth PHP 16.8 million in 68 LGUs across the region, especially those in geographically isolated areas or island municipalities.

Further, these prepositioned goods are placed in Bohol with a total of 8,913 FFPs and 3,506 NFIs; in Cebu with 20,751 FFPs and 13,382 of NFIs; in Negros Oriental with 40,954 FFPs and 1959 NFIs; and in Siquijor province 6,133 FPPs and 1,356 NFIs.

She highlighted that in the whole of Central Visayas, the agency has readied 76,751 Family Food Packs, 20,203 Non-Food Items, a standby fund of Php 500,000, as well as raw materials, ready-to-eat meals, and water.

DSWD’s food and non-food items include family food packs and family kits, hygiene kits, kitchen kits, sleeping kits, and modular tents.

Augmentation assistance

The DSWD 7 has augmented a total of 205,046 food and non-food items which is equivalent to PHP 113.8 million to 203,046 families affected by El Nino, Low Pressure Area (LPA), Southwest Monsoon, Tropical Storm Kristine, and Mt. Kanlaon Volcano Eruption.

For El Nino, a total of 108,962 FFPs, amounting to PHP 66 million, were distributed to 107,796 affected families in 55 LGUs in Region 7. Meanwhile, 3 LGUs in the region received a total of 9,214 FFPs that cost PHP 5.2 million due to the effects of Low-Pressure Area (LPAs).

In addition, a sum of 30,185 FFPs, amounting to 22.4 million, affected by the TS Kristine in 18 LGUs in the region. Affected families were 30,169. Further, 5,213 FFPs amounting to PHP 3 million were distributed to 5,164 affected families in 3 LGUs in the region.

Moreover, the Visayas Disaster Response Center (VDRC) in Mandaue City serves as a hub for repacking and storage of the Department’s food and non-food items and continues to provide support not only to the Visayas but also to other regions.

Director Lucero mentioned that VDRC can support Visayas and some portions of Mindanao, as seen in the recent disasters that hit the country. “The VDRC deployed 530,766 FFPs to Field Offices V, VI, VIII, XII, and even to region 7, where the VDRC operates.

She explained that VDRC must have at least 250,000 FFPs in the warehouse that can respond to major disasters at any time. ###

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