The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) remains on high alert, rolling out family food packs (FFPs) and other relief items as severe tropical storm (STS) Verbena continues to affect more regions in the country.
The DSWD’s Disaster Response Command Center (DRCC) has intensified its response operations following the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s (NDRRMC) memorandum raising the alert status to code Blue on Monday (November 24)
Food packs, hygiene kits, and ready-to-eat food (RTEF) boxes have been distributed in response to augmentation requests from the affected local government units (LGUs), according to Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD’s Disaster Response and Management Group (DRMG).
In Bacolod City, the DSWD’s Negros Island Region (NIR) Field Office (FO) on Tuesday (November 25) distributed 10,000 family food packs (FFPs), 250 hygiene kits, and 150 kitchen kits.
The DSWD Caraga FO assisted stranded passengers at the Nasipit Port in Agusan del Norte by giving out 21 boxes of ready-to-eat food (RTEF).
The concerned DSWD Field Offices have also ensured heightened coordination and faster mobilization of Quick Response Teams (QRTs), camp managers, and logistics support for affected areas.
“We are closely coordinating with Field Offices and LGUs to ensure na sapat at mabilis ang pagdating ng tulong sa mga komunidad na apektado ng STS Verbena,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, said on Wednesday (November 26).
The DSWD spokesperson pointed out that the DSWD remains ready to scale up its operations as Verbena, along with the Northeast Monsoon, continues to affect more regions especially in the Visayas.
“Patuloy ang ating monitoring at naka-standby ang mga QRTs para sa anumang karagdagang pangangailangan. Ang DSWD ay nakahanda tumugon sa pangangailangan ng mga apektado alinsunod sa utos ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. na siguraduhin ang agaran at sapat na tulong sa mga disaster affected individuals and families,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao said.
Latest reports show STS Verbena affecting Regions 5 (Bicol), 6 (Western Visayas), 7 (Central Visayas), 8 (Eastern Visayas), NIR, CALABARZON, and Caraga.
More than 100,000 families have been displaced across 612 affected barangays with 470 evacuation centers currently sheltering the affected individuals.
Asst. Secretary Dumlao has assured the public that the DSWD will remain vigilant and responsive throughout the emergency.
“Tuloy-tuloy ang monitoring at relief efforts ng DSWD. Nandito kami mula preparedness hanggang recovery para sa mga pamilyang apektado. Patuloy din po kaming nagpapaalala na mag-ingat po ang lahat at sumunod po sa mga instruksiyon mula sa mga awtoridad ukol sa safety protocols,” the DSWD spokesperson said. (CC)
