In line with the continuous disaster response operations in Davao Region, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office (FO)-11 welcomed the arrival of 40,800 family food packs (FFPs) on Sunday (February 18) at the Globalports Davao Terminal.
The FFPs were loaded in BRP Davao del Sur (LD602) of the Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao (NFEM) last Feb. 11 at Pier 15, Port Area of Manila by the National Resource and Logistics Management Bureau (NLRMB) of DSWD Central Office.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian has earlier directed the continuous flow of relief aid to Mindanao in one of the agency’s largest disaster response efforts, in keeping with the instruction of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr to ensure that no disaster-affected families will be left behind.
DSWD Asst. Secretary for Strategic Communications Romel Lopez said the FFPs will be distributed to families affected by the effects of the shear line and the trough of a low pressure area (LPA).
“Our Davao Field Office has started the hauling of the FFPs to its warehouse and these will be ready for pick up by requesting local government units (LGUs) affected by the inclement weather in the region. We are coordinating closely with the affected LGUs to ensure that they have enough relief aid to distribute to their affected constituents,” Asst. Sec. Lopez, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, pointed out.
Present in the ceremonial unloading of the FFPs were DSWD Field Office-11 Regional Director Atty. Vanessa B. Goc-ong ; Asst Regional Director for Operations and concurrent chief of the Disaster Response Management Division, Dahlia S. Padillo; Globalports Davao Terminal Operations Manager, Mark Lester S. Tan; Deputy Commander Captain Constancio Arturo M. Reyes representing Commo. Carlos V. Sabarre of NFEM; BRP Davao del Sur (LD602) Commanding Officer CDR Marco DJ Sandalo; the men and women of the Philippine Navy, and other DSWD FO-11 personnel.
As of press time, the DSWD Davao Regional Office has already extended a total of 145,895 food and non-food items (FNFIs) amounting to Php238,993,568 for shear line-affected families in the region while 221,835 FNFIs worth Php148,634,722.60 were distributed to LPA trough-affected families.
The DSWD will continue to monitor the condition of the families affected by disasters in Mindanao and will provide the necessary technical assistance and resource augmentation to LGUs, as needed.
