(File photo)
MANILA – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regional directors (RDs) have been instructed to double check the number of family food packs (FFPs) to make sure all requests by local government units (LGUs) hit by Super Typhoon Egay and enhanced southwest monsoon are properly met.
“Be sharp with your data,” DSWD Secretary Gatchalian told the DSWD RDs in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), the regions hit hardest by the typhoon.
Gatchalian also instructed the concerned RDs to follow the delivery plan which they have agreed on with the Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) led by Undersecretary Diane Cajipe and Assistant Secretary Marlon Alagao.
“Let me reiterate. We will follow the delivery plan we agreed on. But please make sure to communicate to the stakeholders. Now if mayroon (there is) new requests, communicate with Asec. Marlon Alagao so he can adjust the delivery plan accordingly,” Gatchalian said.
The RDs have also been instructed to submit in tabulated form the number of requested FFPs per province, city and municipality, along with the number of released or delivered food packs and the number of FFPs which are still for release.
“This will ensure that all FFPs requested from the National Resource Operations Center or NROC are all accounted for and that all requests by LGUs are properly met. This is also to avoid double-delivery or under-delivery,” said Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez, also DSWD spokesperson.
The NROC is the main disaster response hub of the DSWD located in Pasay City, Metro Manila.
Gatchalian has earlier ordered the NROC to prepare for the dispatch of at least 289,906 boxes of FFPs in the first two weeks of August as augmentation assistance to the LGUs in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and CAR.
A state of calamity has been declared in at least 16 provinces, towns and cities in Luzon where Egay left a trail of destruction due to massive flooding in many areas in the four regions.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Monday that around 2.3 million people or 654,837 families were affected by Egay and enhanced habagat or southwest monsoon.
The number of evacuees was estimated at 312,000, with some staying in 737 evacuation centers nationwide, according to the NDRRMC. (PNA)
