THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced on Sunday that it has allocated ₱3 billion in standby funds and prepositioned a significant relief stockpile to address potential calamities nationwide throughout the year.
DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao stated that these resources will be readily available to respond to requests from local government units (LGUs) affected by disasters.
Dumlao highlighted the availability of over three million family food packs strategically located in DSWD warehouses across the country, as well as in LGU and private organization warehouses.
This preparedness comes as several regions in the northern Philippines have already been impacted by Tropical Storm Bising (international name: Danas).
The Office of Civil Defense reported that over 3,700 families in the Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, and Cagayan Valley have been affected by the storm.
Dumlao confirmed that the DSWD has already provided aid to affected residents, particularly in Benguet and Ilocos Sur. While Bising exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Friday, it intensified into a severe tropical storm on Saturday and reached typhoon status on Sunday.
Pagasa forecasts that Danas may re-enter the PAR by Sunday evening or early Monday morning. At 11 am. Sunday, Danas was located 385 kilometers west-northwest of Itbayat, Batanes, packing maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 150 kilometers per hour, moving north-northwestward at 10 kilometers per hour.
The DSWD’s preparedness underscores the government’s commitment to providing timely assistance to communities affected by natural disasters.
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