In line with the priority of the Marcos administration to ensure swift response during disasters and calamities, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is currently evaluating the readiness of its disaster response facilities in various regions across the country.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian has directed Special Assistant to the Secretary (SAS) Maria Isabel Lanada to conduct site inspection of the different warehouses of the department in the provinces of Quirino and Isabela on September 19 and 20.

Among the warehouses which SAS Lanada visited were those in the cities of Ilagan and Santiago in Isabela, and the warehouses in the municipalities of Diffun and Saguday in Quirino province.

The inspection is part of the DSWD’s disaster preparedness program called “Buong Bansa Handa,” which taps an expanded network of warehouse facilities of local government units (LGUs), provincial governments, other national government agencies, and the private sector to ensure seamless provision of basic necessities for disaster victims.

The Department, through its Field Office-2 (Cagayan Valley), is also set to augment 12,224 family food packs (FFPs) to Isabela, and 9,530 FFPs in Quirino province in the coming days. #