By Brian Campued
The government is ready to respond to the areas affected by Tropical Storm Crising, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said on Friday, stressing that fully automated machines are in place at the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for timely release and distribution of food assistance.
During a visit to the National Resource Operations Center (NROC) in Pasay City, the President inspected the packing of ready-to-eat food (RTEF) boxes for distribution by the DSWD during calamities and disasters.
“Ang maganda dito sa bagong makinarya na ginagamit natin, mas mapapabilis at mas mapapaganda ang ating pag-packing ng mga relief goods para ibibigay natin sa ating mga evacuees, para sa mga naging biktima,” Marcos said.
According to DSWD Sec. Rex Gatchalian, at least 3 million family food packs (FFPs) were already prepositioned in 934 storage hubs nationwide, with continuous production of additional relief supplies in the NROC as well as the Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) in Mandaue City, Cebu.
Aside from FFPs, the DSWD has a stockpile of RTEF boxes and non-food items, including hygiene kits, kitchen kits, rest kits, as well as buckets with water filters.
“Utos ng Pangulong Marcos Jr., na tiyakin ang kaligtasan at kapanatagan ng kalooban ng mga Pilipinong naapektuhan ng mga kalamidad. Sumunod ang DSWD at pinaigting ang production at pag imbak ng mga family food packs upang agarang matugunan ang pangangailangan ng mga maapektuhan ng kalamidad,” Gatchalian said.
“Anuman ang mangyari, kahit san man, ay handa tayong rumesponde sa mabilis at agarang pamamaraan,” he added.
Gatchalian also directed all DSWD field offices to prepare for immediate deployment of personnel to ensure swift distribution of relief goods to affected communities.
More disaster response centers eyed
The President also ordered the establishment of additional disaster response centers to boost the government’s capacity to protect Filipinos during calamities and emergencies.
“Sa Bagong Pilipinas, laging handa ang gobyerno; laging handa ang Pangulo upang siguraduhing ligtas at mayroong access sa pagkain ang mga Pilipinong maaapektuhan ng bagyo,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing at Malacañang.
In line with this, the DSWD has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Clark International Airport Corporation for the establishment of a Regional Disaster Response Command Center (RDRCC) and a warehouse facility at the Clark Civil Aviation Complex and the Industrial Estate 5.
This will be the third main disaster response hub of the DSWD, following the NROC and the VDRC.
-jpv
