DSWD Bicol Dispatches 3,200 Food Packs to Eastern Visayas amidst severe Tropical Storm Crising
LEGAZPI CITY – In a swift response to the escalating impacts of Severe Tropical Storm Crising and the intensified southwest monsoon, the Department of Social Welfare and Growth (DSWD) Field Office 5 (bicol) has dispatched 3,200 ready-to-eat food (RTEF) packs to DSWD field Office 8 (Eastern Visayas).This crucial augmentation of relief supplies is part of the agency’s synchronized disaster response operations, aimed at providing immediate sustenance to affected populations.
claudio Villareal, chief of DSWD-5’s Disaster Response Management Division, highlighted the significance of this inter-regional support. “This initiative underscores DSWD’s strengthened coordination and commitment to effective disaster response,” Villareal stated in a phone interview on Saturday. “DSWD-Bicol is strategically positioned as a logistical hub between Luzon and the Visayas, enabling the rapid delivery of essential aid to areas severely impacted by the storm.”
The operation aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to enhance the nation’s disaster preparedness and response mechanisms, ensuring that no Filipino is left behind during times of crisis. Each RTEF pack is meticulously prepared with nutritious meals, designed to support internally displaced persons (IDPs) and stranded individuals temporarily housed in evacuation centers and transit terminals.The food packs were loaded from the DSWD-5 warehouse in Pili,Camarines Sur.along with the inter-regional support, DSWD-5 is also conducting a local distribution of RTEF packs in Pasacao, Camarines Sur on Saturday. This effort will assist individuals stranded at the Pasacao port, with initial reports indicating approximately 30 locally stranded individuals from San Pascual, Masbate, who will be verified upon arrival at the port.
