MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has a national stockpile of 1.3 million family food packs (FFPs) to augment the needs of local government units (LGUs) still recovering from the effects of previous storms and those that may be affected by Typhoon “Pepito” (international name Man-yi).
This was reported by DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at a situation briefing at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) office at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Friday.
“We maintain a 1.3 million stockpile of FFPs nationwide. We’re not dropping that. Then we’re now utilizing two supply lines. Simultaneously, we’re producing from Central Luzon, Pasay City, and Cebu,” Gatchalian told the President.
“We’re already getting our suppliers delivered to us prepacked. While we’re producing, we’re also receiving prepacked levels,” he said, citing enhanced efforts to expedite preparations for Pepito.
The strategy falls under the agency’s Buong Bansa Handa mechanism, which facilitates the activation of two supply chains simultaneously, especially during disasters.
The first supply chain focuses on improving the production capabilities and processes at the DSWD’s National Resource Operations Center in Pasay City, the Visayas Disaster Resource Center in Cebu, and various warehouse and storage facilities across the 16 DSWD field offices.
The second supply chain involves collaborations with the private sector to meet the needs of families in various disaster-stricken areas.
Gatchalian said the department planned to increase its daily production of FFPs to 50,000 to 85,000 boxes to avoid straining the supply chain.
“Mr. President, our usual production in Luzon was 35,000 FFPs daily. Next week, we will reach 85,000, and it won’t drop to 50,000 because we expect Pepito to be very severe. That’s why we are coordinating everything for next week,” he said.
Gatchalian assured Marcos that with this production capacity, the DSWD could produce 1 million FFPs by Dec. 7, in addition to the 1.3 million FFPs currently in stock.
The recent replenishment of the department’s Quick Response Funds also ensures that the agency would have adequate relief supplies despite the increasing demand, he said.
