Manila: Department of Social Welfare and Development: Secretary Rex Gatchalian assured the public the agency is ready to dispatch family food packs (FFPs) and other necessary aid to families affected by another explosive eruption of Mt. Kanlaon early Tuesday morning.
According to Philippines News Agency, Gatchalian stated that over 250,000 boxes of family food packs (FFPs) were prepositioned in the warehouses of DSWD’s Field Office (FO) 6 (Western Visayas) and 7 (Central Visayas) ahead of the ongoing explosive eruption. “As I speak, our Field Offices in Western and Central Visayas are closely coordinating with affected local government units (LGUs) so we can get real-time updates on the status of affected families, and their need for more provisions of family food packs and non-food items,” he explained.
Gatchalian further emphasized the preparedness of the agency, noting that, “We expect the numbers of evacuees may spike again, but we are ready. Our nearby warehouses are capacitated. In fact, apart from the more than 100,000 FFPs in Negros Island, we have over 2.5 million boxes of FFPs prepositioned in other warehouses across the country which we can tap anytime for our relief response.”
In addition to FFPs, the DSWD has allocated PHP865,447,008 for non-food items, including kitchen kits, family kits, sleeping kits, hygiene kits, and laminated sacks among other relief items. Since the explosive eruption last December 9, Gatchalian affirmed the agency’s continuous delivery of FFPs to the LGUs in Western and Central Visayas, with a commitment to provide more as local responses demand additional supplies.
Gatchalian also urged nearby communities to adhere to emergency evacuation notices from LGUs and prioritize their safety. “Help is coming their way, so the first thing that they should prioritize is their safety. We will see to it that all our resources will be pooled to also assure their comfort. Considering of course, most of them have been in evacuation centers since the volcano has been put under Alert Level 3,” he stated.
Meanwhile, a senior DSWD official announced that the public can send donations to Kanlaon-affected families through the Kaagapay Donation Portal. Assistant Secretary Marie Rafael of the DSWD’s Partnerships Building and Resource Mobilization Office revealed during the National Press Club’s Meet the Press forum that through the portal, donations can be directed to the agency itself or to foundations and non-government organizations located in disaster areas.
Rafael elaborated, “More than just an online system to process donations, the Kaagapay Portal is a platform where the DSWD bridges donors to stakeholders and organizations that are registered and licensed by the DSWD, as well as to LGUs partaking in the provision of assistance.” The portal is a digital breakthrough aligned with the Marcos administration’s goal to automate government transactions and enhance public service delivery.
