TACLOBAN CITY: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Eastern Visayas has prepositioned PHP132.05 million worth of relief items in preparation for the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Kabayan in the region.
The available resources include PHP131.83 million worth of food and non-food items and PHP211,873 standby fund, said DSWD regional information officer Jonalyndie Chua in a phone interview Monday.
The relief goods include 129,197 family food packs (FFPs) and 36,911 non-food items (NFIs).
‘In response to the possible effects of a tropical cyclone, the DSWD field office held a quick response team meeting to discuss the preparedness measures of the agency to respond to the needs of the local government units, which are reported to be potentially affected,’ Chua said.
The stock of food supplies in strategic areas of the region will ensure faster delivery of relief goods in case of severe flooding and other disasters, according to Chua.
These goods are prepositioned in Northern Samar; Eastern
Samar; DSWD regional resource operations center in Palo, Leyte; Sogod, Southern Leyte; and Biliran province.
Each FFP contains six kilos of rice, four cans of corned beef, four cans of tuna flakes, two cans of sardines, five sachets of coffee, and five sachets of cereal drinks.
The NFIs include sleeping kits, hygiene kits, mosquito nets, laminated sacks, plastic mats, modular tents, and kitchen utensils.
Under the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, the local governments are the first responders, and the DSWD must augment the response efforts after disasters.
Several areas in the region have been experiencing strong winds and heavy rains due to the weather disturbance.
As of Monday afternoon, the entire Leyte and Southern Leyte provinces were placed under tropical cyclone wind signal number 1. Also included in the category are the southern part of Samar and the eastern Samar provinces.
The center of the weather disturbance was estimated based on all available data in the vicin
ity of Loreto, Agusan del Sur.
Source: Philippines News Agency