To continuously improve disaster response and the prepositioning of relief supplies, the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Field Offices (FOs) are eyeing to enter into more formalized agreements and partnerships with local government units (LGUs).

In the DSWD Thursday Media Forum on August 29, resource persons DSWD FO-National Capital Region (NCR) Director Michael Joseph Lorico and DSWD FO-3 (Central Luzon) Regional Director Venus Rebuldela both recognized the importance of forging partnerships with LGUs in easing the delivery of relief supplies to families in need during disasters.

“To amplify our disaster response, ang ginagawa natin ngayon, we are strengthening our partnership with the local government units and nag-start na kami. In fact, we will be having an MOU signing with the LGU of Navotas. Naipadala na namin ang MOU para ma-start na ‘yung process of prepositioning,” Director Lorico told reporters during the forum at the DSWD Central Office’s New Press Center in Quezon City.

According to Director Lorico, the MOU with the LGU of Navotas will allow FO-NCR to strategically preposition their relief goods in a storage facility within the city. Navotas City was among the areas in the region that was hard-to-reach at the height of Typhoon Carina.

“We are now currently processing yung pag-coordinate and signing ng MOU or MOA for the prepositioning of the stockpile of food packs and non-food items sa ating mga LGUs. Kasi katulad nong challenge na nahirapan kami during the time of the habagat nung Carina, ang isang biggest challenge natin ay na-isolate ang certain areas during that time,” Director Lorico, who is a lawyer, explained.

To date, the FO-NCR has already provided 302,789 FFPs and non-food items amounting to Php213.5 million to typhoon-hit families in Metro Manila.

For her part, Director Rebuldela said the agency’s existing partnerships with LGUs helped with the faster delivery of family food packs to disaster-stricken communities during the onslaught of Typhoon Carina.

“Maganda lang ang relasyon natin sa mga LGUs, lalung-lalo na sa ating mga kasama diyan sa House dahil sa Region 3, ang ating mga local chief executives, mga governors natin, nag-conduct tayo ng MOA signing with our Secretary. Sila ay nagpahiram sa atin ng mga warehouses natin. So libre yun na pinahiram sa atin kaya mabilis yung ating pagtugon noong panahon ng bagyong Carina,” Director Rebuldela pointed out.

Currently, the FO-3 has a regional warehouse in the province of Pampanga, another warehouse in Aurora province, and 36 LGU-owned storage facilities.

As of August 29, the DSWD’s Central Luzon FO has distributed a total of 778,394 food packs to Carina-affected families. #