Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Wednesday (July 17) underscored the importance of the whole-of-government approach in the speedy delivery of relief goods to disaster-affected families across the country.
In a pre-State of the Nation Address (SONA) interview with veteran broadcaster Mike Abe aired over PTV-4 on Wednesday, the DSWD chief stressed that the local government units (LGUs) are the first line of defense in disaster response but the DSWD is committed and prepared to augment and send additional assistance to LGUs to ensure the welfare of vulnerable Filipinos during calamities and disasters.
“Dahil maganda ang koordinasyon ng whole-of-government approach natin, nasusubaybayan natin yung response. Complementary tayo lagi sa LGUs. Kailangan ko lang ulit-ulitin na ang disaster response ay primary role ng LGUs. Pero nauunawaan ng ating Pangulo na mayroon tayong mga LGU na medyo maliliit ang kapasidad. Kaya tayo tumutulong sa pamamagitan ng pag-augment ng kanilang mga resources,” Secretary Gatchalian explained.
To enhance the capacity of the Department in meeting the needs of families in various disaster-stricken areas, the DSWD launched the Buong Bansa Handa Program in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure that government aid is immediately dispatched to disaster-hit communities.
“Sa larangan ng disaster response, mayroon tayong programa na ang tawag ay Buong Bansa Handa Program ng ating Pangulo. Ang ibig sabihin, pag sinabi mong buong bansa handa, nationwide, lagi kang handa, at hindi lang gobyerno, pati na rin ang private sector dapat kasama natin dito,” the DSWD chief said,
The Buong Bansa Handa Program employs two parallel supply chain mechanisms for disaster preparedness and response.
The first mechanism features a national and local government-driven supply chain that will improve the production capacities and processes of the DSWD’s National Resource Operations Center (NROC) in Pasay City, the Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) in Cebu, and warehouse and storage facilities across the 16 DSWD Field Offices.
“Ang unang supply chain natin ay government-run. Ibig sabihin, mayroon tayo everytime , as we speak right now, kulang kulang dalawang milyon na family food packs (FFPs) ang nakakalat sa iba’t ibang mga warehouse ng DSWD, ng ibang national government agency na hiniram natin, at ng mga LGUs,” Secretary Gatchalian pointed out.
For the second mechanism, Secretary Gatchalian said the DSWD partnered with private agencies such as large and small groceries, supermarkets, manufacturers, and distributors to leverage on their technical expertise and resources to create a private sector-driven supply chain.
Under these partnerships, the DSWD aims to achieve a more effective and reliable supply chain, ensuring comprehensive coverage and timely assistance to affected families in all disaster-affected areas.
Another initiative in disaster response efforts of the DSWD is digitalization, according to Secretary Gatchalian.
Earlier this year, the DSWD inaugurated its Disaster Response Command Center (DRCC), a 24/7 command center that will serve as a central hub for disaster monitoring, reporting, and coordination of preparedness and response efforts.
The DRCC utilizes advanced information and communication equipment/assets to ensure the seamless collaboration between the DSWD Central Office, DSWD Field Offices (FOs), National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) member-agencies, and other stakeholders.
“Yan ang nagsisilbing mata, tenga, at nerve system natin para yung iba’t ibang field office natin ay hindi na kailangang tumawag kasi namomonitor namin real-time yung mga kailangan nilang mga tulong at naka-disaggregate ang data,” Secretary Gatchalian said.
“Nakahimay doon ilan ang buntis, ilan ang matanda, ilan ang bata kasi hindi na natin pwedeng lagom tignan yon dahil sa departamento ay in charge kami sa pagprotekta sa mga bulnerable at yan ang mga sektor na binabantayan namin pagdating sa sakuna,” the DSWD chief added.#
