DSWD quick response fund replenished in time for 'Pepito,' says it’s enough until December


At a glance

  • Dumlao furthered that the agency predicted the P875 million can procure additional raw materials to produce 30,000 food packs daily for both Luzon-based hubs and 25,000 daily production output for the Visayas hub in Cebu.


The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) had its quick response fund (QRF) replenished with P875 million just in time for the expected onslaught of Super Typhoon Pepito, which is expected to make landfall tonight or tomorrow morning.

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File photo

During the Quezon City media forum on Saturday, Nov. 16, DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said that the replenished QRF is expected to last until December.

“Actually, itong hiningi po natin na replenishment ng ating (this replenishment that we asked for our) quick response fund, that we will be able to tide us over the following month. Ito nga pong mapo-procure natin na mga additional welfare goods ay magagamit po natin para makapaghanda sa mga susunod pa na mga bagyo (What we’re going to procure as additional welfare goods will be used to prepare for the next typhoons),” she explained.

“But then, of course, we could not predict how many more typhoons or extreme weather events or other disasters and emergencies would affect our country in the coming months,” the official added.

In detail, Dumlao furthered that the agency predicted the P875 million can procure additional raw materials to produce 30,000 food packs daily for both Luzon-based hubs and 25,000 daily production output for the Visayas hub in Cebu.

She expects that the daily production can go “higher” because of the agreements the DSWD has with private manufacturers or retailers.

“So, we hope that walang masyadong mga (there won’t be a lot of) disasters and emergencies in the month of December dahil iyong mapo-produce natin ay puwedeng (what we can produce can last) until the second week of December,” she stressed.

The official, however, assured that the DSWD is allowed “to request for another replenishment” from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) as soon as it used up 50 percent of its existing QRF.

Aside from preparing additional family food packs with the replenished QRF, Dumlao shared that the government has “close to a million family food packs already prepositioned in strategic parts of our country.”

“So, mayroon na pong mga nakahanda doon at dinadagdagan natin. Gaya nga ng sinabi ni Secretary (there are ready food packs and we’re already augmenting them. As what Secretary said), we have prepositioned but we continue to produce and dispatch,” she added.

Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Pepito is expected to make landfall in the vicinity of Catanduanes or over the eastern coast of Camarines Sur, Albay, or Sorsogon, or along the eastern coast of Quezon or Aurora by Saturday night or Sunday morning.

The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) also said that Pepito may affect around 10 million people as it poses a “severe threat” to the Bicol Region (Region 5).

Potential life-threatening storm surges with peak heights exceeding three meters are expected in low-lying coastal areas, particularly in the Ilocos Region (western coast), Isabela, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Bicol Region, Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran, and the northeastern coast of Leyte.