ILOILO City – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 6 has readied P178.27 million worth of standby funds, food packs, relief supplies, and emergency response assets across Western Visayas as authorities brace for the continuing impacts of El Niño, the looming effects of La Niña, and other climate-related disasters.
The agency announced that as of June 3, it had secured sufficient disaster-response resources to immediately assist local government units during emergencies, with stockpiles strategically positioned throughout the region to ensure rapid deployment.
Available resources include P3 million in standby funds, 187,450 Family Food Packs worth P113.26 million, 34,812 Ready-to-Eat Food items valued at P29.29 million, and P32.72 million worth of non-food items such as family kits, hygiene kits, sleeping kits, kitchen kits, modular tents, and laminated sacks.
To accelerate response operations during calamities, DSWD-6 has prepositioned the supplies at its regional warehouse and 74 local storage sites across Western Visayas.
The agency said it has also strengthened disaster preparedness measures through evacuation center monitoring, capacity-building activities for local government units, and the distribution of child-friendly and women-friendly space kits in priority areas.
Meanwhile, DSWD-6 continues to implement Project LAWA and BINHI, programs aimed at improving climate resilience and food security among vulnerable communities.
Through its Disaster Response Management Division, the agency allocated P71.05 million for the initiative, benefiting 6,925 partner-beneficiaries in 24 cities and municipalities in Antique, Iloilo, Capiz, Guimaras, and Negros Occidental.
The agency said its Quick Response Teams remain on standby for deployment, while critical assets such as a Mobile Command Center and Mobile Kitchen are ready for immediate operations whenever needed./PN
