PREPOSITIONED. Boxes of food packs are stored at the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regional resource operations section warehouse in Palo, Leyte. The DSWD on Friday (Dec. 3, 2021) said it has prepositioned 15,270 family food packs in Eastern Visayas for faster response, especially after calamities. (Photo courtesy of DSWD)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development has prepositioned 15,270 family food packs (FFPs) in Eastern Visayas for faster response especially during this typhoon season.
Abelardo Bibat, DSWD Eastern Visayas regional information officer, said on Friday they are adding up more stocks in strategic locations in anticipation of more requests for assistance from local government units after disasters.
Of the 15,270 food packs, some 9,576 are at the DSWD regional resource operations section warehouse in Palo, Leyte; 3,694 in Northern Samar; 1,000 in Eastern Samar; and 1,000 in Samar.
“Recently, the agency’s Disaster Response Management Division procured additional raw materials, such as canned goods, coffee and cereal drinks, which will then be packaged into additional FFPs,” Bibat added.
Storing food packs in different strategic locations before a calamity will allow the DSWD to immediately respond to requests of local government units, especially since December is considered the rainy season.
Each food pack consists of rice, canned goods, and coffee, packed in a small box for one family.
Under the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, the local governments are the first responders, and the DSWD is tasked to augment the response efforts after disasters. (PNA)
