The DSWD Field Office VI has a total of Php146.7 million-worth of family food packs for disaster response operations. Records of the Disaster Response Management Division (DRMD) of the agency shows that these goods amount to Php146,772,885.97. This is broken down to 114,568 family food packs costing Php89,287,108.72 and P57-million worth non-food items.

“We, at the DSWD Field Office VI, are prepared should the affected localities need our augmentation of resources particularly now that Provinces in Western Visayas are placed under Signal no. 1 due to Tropical Cyclone Kristine,” said Officer-in-Charge Regional Director Arwin O. Razo.

Of the food packs, 64,317 are already prepositioned in strategic sites to ensure that affected families in any given disaster would need the aid. Currently, there are a total of 68 preposition sites in Western Visayas. These include nine in Aklan; 11 in Antique; 13 in Capiz; five in Guimaras; 15 in Iloilo; and 15 in Negros Occidental.

On the other hand, non-food items include family kits, sleeping kits, hygiene kits, kitchen kits, family tents and modular tents.

The DSWD Quick Response Team (QRT) has already been activated to respond to the situation./dswd6