Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian has assured that while the agency is focusing on the Bicol Region which bore the brunt of Severe Tropical Storm (STS) Kristine, there is still adequate relief resources in the corridors of CALABARZON and Metro Manila to support local government units (LGUs) affected by the weather disturbance in these areas.
“Mr. President, we assure you, in the CALABARZON and in the Metro Manila corridors, we have close to 250,000 family food packs (FFPs) ready for dispatch anytime,” Secretary Gatchalian said in response to the query of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr on the DSWD’s readiness to address the needs of other Kristine-hit regions during a situation briefing called by the chief executive on Friday (October 25).
Reporting from Naga City via videoconference through the DSWD Field Office 5 – Bicol Region’s Mobile Command Center (MCC), Secretary Gatchalian said responding to the devastating impact of Kristine in the Bicol Region is the top concern as of the moment, but he also emphasized that the Department is closely coordinating with other LGUs on the necessary support for their respective disaster operations.
This includes quick accommodation of their request for resource augmentation, according to Secretary Gatchalian.
“We are working with the local government units and the congressional offices, if they have the requirements to keep on releasing. We’ve been talking to the LGUs, Mr. President,” Secretary Gatchalian pointed out.
Initially, the DSWD has released more than 2,000 FFPs to Region-CALABARZON and is ready to release more.
On orders from President Marcos, Secretary Gatchalian flew to Camarines Sur on Friday morning to monitor the ground situation and the on-going disaster operations across the Bicol Region which was severely battered by Kristine.
