The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Wednesday, Dec. 15, that more than 31,000 family food packs have already been prepositioned and that its Quick Response Teams (QRTs) have been activated in areas that will be affected by Typhoon “Odette”.
The DSWD assured the public that it has started its preparations for the typhoon as the State weather bureau said Odette remains on track to make landfall over Eastern Visayas or Caraga region on Thursday afternoon or evening, Dec. 16.
Citing the report of its Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG), it said QRTs in Bicol, Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas “are now on standby and are ready to provide technical assistance and resource augmentation support to localities along the track of the typhoon."
The DSWD said its Field Office (FO) VI has initially prepositioned over 6,000 food packs, 3,000 of which were readied in Bago City, Negros Occidental; more than 1,000 in Dumarao, Capiz; and more than 2,000 in Banga, Aklan.
The DSWD FO V, meanwhile, has prepared more than 27,000 family food packs (FFPs), and reported available standby funds worth more than P5 million that can be used in their disaster response operations.
The DSWD said as of 6 p.m., Dec. 14, its Central Office (CO), Field Offices (FOs), and National Resource Operations Center (NROC) “maintain stockpiles and standby funds amounting to more than P930 million.”
Of the total amount, P83 million has been earmarked as standby funds to purchase additional supplies for disaster operations.
More than 350,000 FFPs are readily available for immediate distribution to families that will be affected by Odette.
The DSWD said it is closely coordinating with local government units (LGUs), which are the first responders in the occurrence of natural and man-made calamities as provided under Republic Act No. 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010.
The public has been urged to stay alert and heed the warnings of their local executives to prevent any untoward incidents.