The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is on alert  against the approaching tropical depression that is expected to affect the Philippines this Holy Week.

“We are monitoring a tropical depression near the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) east of Mindanao. We have advised our regional offices in Mindanao to be ready for the activation and deployment of their Quick Response Teams (QRTs) if the weather disturbance intensifies,” assured DSWD Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Emmanuel A. Leyco.

Apart from its preparations for the approaching tropical depression, the DSWD is also on alert for any event that may require immediate assistance during the nationwide observance of the Holy Week or ‘Semana Santa.’

“Since many of our kababayans will return to their respective provinces to bond with their families and reflect during the Holy Week, we assure the public that the DSWD is ready to provide assistance especially to travelers who may get stranded due to unforeseen events,” said OIC Leyco.

The Department maintains a total of P307,215,850 standby funds and 370,567 Family Food Packs (FFPs) in strategic areas around the country in time for the week-long observance.

As part of the Department’s preparedness measures, the DSWD Disaster Response Management Bureau (DReMB) will continue to monitor weather conditions and maintain its coordination with regional counterparts, while the National Response and Logistics Management Service (NRLMS) will proceed with its operations.

OIC Leyco also reminded the public to be safe during the observance of the Holy Week.

“We remind the public to always prioritize the safety of their families and homes before they travel to other places during the Holy Week.  Among the measures they can implement are double locking their houses, ensuring that their appliances are unplugged, and immediately reporting suspicious activities and packages they see to the authorities,” he reminded.

“Most importantly, let us not forget that the true meaning of the observance is a chance for us to reflect on the true meaning of Lent and to continuously manifest our faith by  giving  ‘malasakit’ to the less fortunate,” OIC Leyco concluded. #