By Junex Doronio

MANILA — As typhoon Aghon unleashed its fury after months of scorching heat, a senior official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) cited the agency’s collaboration with local government units (LGUs) as a vital component in ensuring the efficient delivery of assistance to affected families.

DSWD Assistant Secretary for Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG)  Irene Dumlao told Radyo Pilipinas on Monday (27 May 2024) that the agency tapped the assistance of pre-identified LGUs to preposition relief items such as family food packs (FFPs) in their warehouses.

“The DSWD has already prepositioned family food packs (FFPs) and non-food items in strategic parts of the country. In fact, we entered into relief prepositioning agreements with some local government units para nga po magamit natin yung kanilang mga warehouses nang sa gayon ay yung mga family food packs ay mailagay natin doon sa kanilang lugar and ready na ma-access anytime po na kakailanganin,” Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, said during the interview.

As of 6 a.m. Monday, Dumlao said the DSWD has already provided more than Php1.3 million worth of humanitarian assistance to the provinces of Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Albay, Camarines Sur, and Sorsogon.

The DSWD Field Offices in typhoon-hit areas continue to coordinate with the LGUs to determine other interventions that may be provided to internally displaced individuals, the agency spokesperson said.

The DSWD also maintains more than Php3 billion worth of standby and stockpile funds which can be tapped for disaster response operations, including some 1,616,551 boxes of FFPs worth Php1.3 billion. These FFPs have been prepositioned in strategic locations around the country.

Dumlao also reminded affected citizens to follow the orders of authorities for the orderly distribution of assistance in their respective areas.

“Tayo po ay makipag-ugnayan sa ating mga lokal na pamahalaan, sa ating mga local social welfare and development officers para matiyak yung maayos na pamamahagi ng tulong,” the DRMG asst. secretary said.

(el Amigo/MNM)