To better respond to the needs of disaster-stricken communities, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has on-going partnerships and future initiatives seeking to strengthen the prepositioning of relief supplies along the stretch of the country’s Eastern Seaboard.

This was underscored by Special Assistant to the Secretary (SAS) for Disaster Response and Management Group (DRMG) and Concurrent Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the National Resource and Logistics Management Bureau (NRLMB) Leo Quintilla during the DSWD’s Thursday Media Forum on October 24.

SAS Quintilla cited that the impact of Severe Tropical Storm (STS) Kristine has affirmed the importance of having strong prepositioning efforts, particularly in disaster-prone areas.

“Alam natin na yung Eastern Seaboard, sila yung nakaharap dito sa Pacific , na dinadaanan ng bagyo. And the purpose is to create a great wall dito sa Eastern Seabord natin, from Luzon down to Agusan-Mindanao area,” SAS Quintilla told reporters at the forum.

According to the DSWD official, the innate vulnerability of these areas have prompted the DSWD to forge formal agreements with local government units (LGUs).

These agreements allow the agency’s prepositioning of disaster supplies, such as family food packs (FFPs) and non-food items (NFIs), across LGU-owned storage facilities.

“Ito po yung naging strategy din ng DSWD looking for partners, especially local government units and provincial LGUs, kung saan makita na natin na napu-push natin yung pagpe-preposition in those areas, especially sa Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) kung saan ay naging partner natin yung LGU at nagkaroon tayo ng relief goods prepositioning agreement to ensure that ready tayo to augment in any disaster event. Hindi lang po ito bagyo, but other disaster situations,” SAS Quintilla explained.

While these existing partnerships have stabilized relief supplies in times of disasters, the DSWD is looking into expanding resources and production centers across the Eastern Seaboard.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian also mentioned this initiative in a separate briefing led by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on October 24, where he highlighted the importance of anticipatory actions during disasters, whether of natural causes or human-induced.

“So, we want to make sure na bukod sa mga regional, provincial, municipal warehouses natin, ‘yung production center natin nakakalat rin dapat sa buong bansa. So, that is something that we are working on right now,” the DSWD chief told Malacanang reporters.

The DSWD have hubs that serve as the production areas and central storage facilities of the agency. These include three National Resource Operations Centers (NROCs) located in the cities of Pasay, Valenzuela, and Paranaque; and the Visayas Disaster Resource Centers (VDRC) in Mandaue City, Cebu.

There are also four DSWD FO 3-Central Luzon hubs in Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and Tarlac; and one DSWD FO 11-Davao Region hub in Pantukan, Davao de Oro.

By next year, according to the DSWD chief, another resource center will rise in Butuan City in Caraga Region which will serve Mindanao, as well as the typhoon-prone areas in the Eastern Seaboard of Visayas and Mindanao.

“The site has been given to us by the city government of Butuan right beside the airport,” Secretary Gatchalian pointed out.

Secretary Gatchalian said there are also plans to establish resource centers across the remaining Eastern Seaboard areas, mentioning regions that bore the brunt of Typhoons Julian and Kristine.

“Plans are also underway to look into expanding more of our production centers to the Eastern Seaboard, halimbawa sa Bicol region, Quezon and all the way to Region 2,” the DSWD chief emphasized.

Tagalog Version

Pag-preposition ng relief goods sa Pacific seaboard, palalakasin ng DSWD

Mas palalakasin pa ng Department of Social Welfare and Development ( DSWD ) ang pakikipagugnayan sa mga local government units (LGUs) na malapit sa Eastern Seaboard upang paglagyan ng mga prepositioned relief supplies na makapagpapabilis sa pagtugon sa disaster response and relief operations sa panahon ng kalamidad.

Ito ang mariing pahayag ni Special Assistant to the Secretary (SAS) for Disaster Response and Management Group (DRMG) at Concurrent Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the National Resource and Logistics Management Bureau (NRLMB) Leo Quintilla sa ginanap na Thursday Media Forum sa New Press Center ng DSWD.

Sabi ni SAS Quintilla, mahalaga ang maagap na pag-preposition ng mga relief supplies partikular na sa mga lugar na madalas na dinadaanan ng bagyo.

“Alam natin na yung Eastern Seaboard, sila yung nakaharap dito sa Pacific , na dinadaanan ng bagyo. And the purpose is to create a great wall dito sa Eastern Seabord natin, from Luzon down to Agusan-Mindanao area,” sabi ni SAS Quintilla.

Sabi pa ng opisyal, dahil sa naranasang lakas ng bagyong Kristine, mas palalakasin pa ng DSWD ang koordinasyon at pakikipagtulungan sa mga local government units sa pamamagitan ng pormal na kasunduan.

Layong kasunduan na magkaroon ang ahensya ng mga paglalagyan o pag preposition ng mga disaster supplies, tulad nh family food packs (FFPs) at non-food items (NFIs), sa mga LGU-owned storage facilities.

“Ito po yung naging strategy din ng DSWD looking for partners, especially local government units and provincial LGUs, kung saan makita na natin na napu-push natin yung pagpe-preposition in those areas, especially sa Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) kung saan ay naging partner natin yung LGU at nagkaroon tayo ng relief goods prepositioning agreement to ensure that ready tayo to augment in any disaster event. Hindi lang po ito bagyo, but other disaster situations,” sabi pa ni SAS Quintilla.

Bukod pa dito, nais din ng DSWDna mas palawakin pa ang resources and production centers nito sa mga kalapit na lugar ng Eastern Seaboard.

Ang layuning ito aniya ay nabanggit na rin ni DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian sa briefing sa Malakanyang nitong October 24, kung saan sinabi nito ang kahalagahan ng anticipatory actions sa panahon ng kalamidad.

“So, we want to make sure na bukod sa mga regional, provincial, municipal warehouses natin, ‘yung production center natin nakakalat rin dapat sa buong bansa. So, that is something that we are working on right now,” ayon sa DSWD chief.

Ang ahensya ay mayroong mga hubs na nagsisilbing production areas at central storage facilities. Kabilang dito ang tatlong National Resource Operations Centers (NROCs) na nasa Pasay, Valenzuela, at Paranaque; gayundin sa Visayas Disaster Resource Centers (VDRC) sa Mandaue City, Cebu.

Mayroon ding apat sa DSWD FO 3-Central Luzon hubs sa Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, at Tarlac; at DSWD FO 11-Davao Region hub sa Pantukan, Davao de Oro.

Sa susunod na taon, isa pang resource center din ang itatayo sa Butuan City sa Caraga Region. Pagsisilbihan nito ang kabuuan ng Mindanao at mga karatig lalawigan nito na malapit sa Eastern Seaboard ng Visayas at Mindanao.

“The site has been given to us by the city government of Butuan right beside the airport,” sabi pa ni Secretary Gatchalian.

Balak din ng DSWD na magtayo ng resource centers sa natitira pang mga lugar Eastern Seaboard.

“Plans are also underway to look into expanding more of our production centers to the Eastern Seaboard, halimbawa sa Bicol region, Quezon and all the way to Region 2,” sabi pa ng DSWD chief.