DSWD welcomes higher public trust as reminder to sustain disaster response efforts
DSWD
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Friday, July 18, welcomed the good rating the national government received in the latest Pulse Asia survey for its disaster response efforts, saying it serves as a reminder to sustain and improve support for communities affected by calamities.
The latest “Ulat ng Bayan” national survey by Pulse Asia, conducted from June 26 to 30, showed a 12-point increase in public approval for the Marcos administration’s calamity response, rising from 51 percent in March to 63 percent in June.
“We take this as a reminder that people are watching and depending on the government in their most vulnerable moments. Hindi po ito tungkol sa numero, kundi sa tiwala ng taong bayan na dapat naming panatilihin at suklian ng mas maayos at mabilis na serbisyo (This is not just about numbers, but about the trust of the Filipino people that we must maintain and repay with better and faster service),” said DSWD-Disaster Response Management Group Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao.
Dumlao said the agency views the positive shift in public perception as a challenge to further strengthen disaster preparedness and response programs through a whole-of-nation approach, in coordination with other government agencies and local government units.
She added that DSWD continues to preposition millions of family food packs and non-food relief items nationwide, while improving warehousing, logistics, and technical assistance for disaster responders to ensure more efficient delivery of aid.
Earlier this year, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian directed the deployment of three million family food packs across 934 storage hubs nationwide, supplemented by ongoing production of relief supplies at the agency’s main warehouses in Pasay City and Mandaue City.
DSWD currently maintains P2.9 billion worth of standby funds and stockpiles, including three million family food packs, 28,000 ready-to-eat food boxes, and 330,000 non-food relief items.