RELIEF GOODS. Food packs being readied by the Department of Social Welfare and Development Office (DSWD) for areas in Eastern Visayas threatened by Typhoon Ambo (international name Vongfong). Aside from the food packs, the regional office also has a standby fund of PHP23.95 million that can be used to purchase additional relief supplies, according to the DSWD Eastern Visayas disaster operation division on Thursday (May 14, 2020). (Photo courtesy of DSWD)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is repacking its prepositioned stockpiles of relief items in Eastern Visayas as part of its response and preparedness measures for Typhoon Ambo (international name Vongfong).
“This will be readied in case affected local government units request augmentation for their relief operations,” said Joshua Kempis, DSWD Eastern Visayas disaster operation division information officer, in a phone interview on Thursday.
Each food pack being prepared at the regional resource operations center here contains rice, sardines, corned beef, and coffee good for three to five days for a family of five members.
The DSWD has not released yet the inventory of its prepositioned relief items for Typhoon Ambo.
Aside from the food packs, the regional office also has a standby fund of PHP23.95 million that can be used to purchase additional relief supplies, according to Kempis.
“We are currently monitoring the track of the typhoon and our response teams stationed across the region have already been activated,” he added.
In its 11 a.m. severe weather bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Ambo was last seen 140 kilometers east southeast of Catarman, Northern Samar.
The typhoon packs maximum sustained winds of up to 150 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 190 kph, moving west at 15 kph.
Violent winds and heavy to torrential rains of the eyewall region is now affecting the Northern part of the Samar islands, the PAGASA said.
Tropical wind cyclone signal No. 3 was raised over Northern Samar and some areas in Eastern and Western Samar.
Ambo is expected to make landfall on Thursday afternoon or evening in Northern Samar before heading towards Sorsogon. (PNA)
