The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) now has 3,000,658 boxes of family food packs (FFPs) prepositioned across the agency’s warehouses nationwide, the highest stockpile recorded in its history.
Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Irene Dumlao of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) said this record reflects the agency’s untiring dedication to bolster year-round preparation for disasters and calamities.
“This big number will go a long way in ensuring that our relief resources can sustain our disaster response efforts,” Dumlao said in a statement.
The DRMG official said that of the over 3 million FFPs, 2,207,124 have already been delivered and prepositioned at various hubs, spokes, and last-mile facilities nationwide.
Over 790,000 FFPs, on the other hand, are ready to be dispatched from the major production hubs of the agency, which are the National Resource Operations Center (NROC) in Pasay City and the Visayas Disaster Response Center (VDRC) in Cebu where production of relief items are conducted daily.
Dumlao said the DSWD’s enhanced relief preparation and prepositioning efforts are part of Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian and President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s thrust toward a more “omnipresent” government response to disasters and calamities.
“When Secretary Rex Gatchalian joined the Department in 2023, in less than five months, he really worked hard so we can launch the Buong Bansa Handa (BBH) initiative and transform how we manage our disaster response efforts,” Dumlao explained.
Under the BBH, the agency strategically prepositioned and ensured the availability of goods even before a disaster strikes in a certain area. It employs two parallel supply chain mechanisms to optimize disaster preparedness and response.
Dumlao added that the DSWD owes the record-breaking number to the people who continue to help fast-track the agency’s prepositioning efforts.
“We also want to honor our ever-hardworking and tireless employees – our ‘Angels in Red Vest,’ as well as our volunteers who flock to our production centers to help with our daily operations. Your compassion and commitment reflect the true spirit of modern bayanihan, bringing hope and relief to our kababayans in need,” Dumlao said.
