DSWD readies over 200,000 family foods to augment LGUs resources in ‘Ruby’s’ path

image courtesy of NOAApit

MANILA — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said that more than 200,000 family foods packs are in standby position as an augmentation to the resources of the local government units (LGUs) that will be affected by typhoon “Ruby.”

According to Social Welfare Secretary Corazon J. Soliman, a total of 270,574 family food packs worth about Php18 million was currently prepositioned as a ready augmentation when the need arises.

This even as Soliman assured that her department has adequate stockpiles of commodities and standby funds for relief operations at the national and regional levels.

The DSWD head added that as part of the department’s strengthened precautionary measures, all DSWD field offices have been directed to have standby funds amounting to more than Php18 million for the purchase of emergency relief supplies and other non-food items.

She said that such preparations are part of the department’s strengthened disaster response operations, as “Ruby” continues to move over the Philippine Sea.

“DSWD’s regional Quick Response Teams (QRT) started to conduct meetings and ordered to coordinate with local government units for steps to be taken like pre-emptive evacuations, if necessary,” she added.

Soliman said that those staffs working under QRTs were ordered to duty 24 hours as part of their heightened alert status.

According to PAGASA report, the typhoon is expected to make landfall in Eastern Visayas and may cut across Central and Western Visayas.

Meanwhile, DSWD Assistant Secretary Vilma Cabrera said that they started identifying some evacuation centers in Tacloban in case ‘Ruby’ makes the land fall there.