DSWD 6 readies 11K family food packs for dry spell

ILOILO CITY -- A total of 11,338 food packs are readied by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD 6) in Western Visayas in the event that local government units will ask for relief augmentations.

In an interview on Friday, Renante Lasay, program development officer III of DSWD 6, said aside from the food packs, the region also has a stand-by fund of PHP3 million.

Food packs are being prepositioned in every province in the region, he said.

Negros Occidental has 2,000 food packs prepositioned at the province’s warehouse; Guimaras has 300; Antique has 1,000; and Aklan has 1,500.

Iloilo province, on the other hand, has yet to preposition food packs because the province hosts the regional warehouse located at Oton town.

In a pre-disaster risk assessment with the Office of the Civil Defense 6 and other government agencies, Lasay learned from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Office of Negros Occidental that DSWD food packs in Panaad, Negros Occidental warehouse are already nearing expiration date.

“We will replenish the food packs in Negros Occidental next week,” Lasay said.

Food packs that will be pulled out from Panaad warehouse will be brought to the regional warehouse in Oton for assessment.

After the pre-disaster assessment meeting, Lasay anticipated receiving requests for relief augmentation for the dry spell from local government units.

“The provincial risk reduction and management officers had been informed and they are expected to relay the information to the local level. With this, we expect that municipalities will request for relief augmentation,” he said.

DSWD’s family food pack include six kilograms of rice and six canned goods.

Non-food items are also put on stand-by for disasters other than the dry spell. These include dignity kits at 2,037; 2,446 sleeping kits; 1,284 blankets; 1,516 plastic mats; 1,351 mosquito nets; and clothing packs at 2,967. (PNA)

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