DSWD mobilizes resources amid 'Kristine'

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian announced on Monday that he had instructed the agency’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) to remain on alert and prepared to assist local government units (LGUs) in the path of tropical depression "Kristine."

“We have to make sure Field Offices 1 and 2 and CAR’s [Cordillera Administrative Region] stockpiles are in full strength,” Secretary Gatchalian told the DRMG group on Sunday, emphasizing that tropical depression “Kristine” has the same track as super typhoon “Carina” that severely battered Northern Luzon in July.

Secretary Gatchalian also ordered the National Resource Operations Center (NROC), the agency’s main disaster response hub located in Pasay City, Metro Manila, to speed up its production of family food packs (FFPs) as the agency needs to be prepared and ready when the storm hits Batanes.

As of press time, there are 94,838 boxes of FFPs in Region 1 (Ilocos Region); 113,296 FFPs in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley Region); and 62,360 in CAR.

A total of 186,311 FFPs in NROC are already on standby for augmentation to affected localities.

“We are in constant communication with the Philippine Navy and the Office of Civil Defense to prioritize the delivery of FFPs in the island province of Batanes,” Undersecretary Cajipe said in response to the instruction of Gatchalian.