MANILA – The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Disaster Response Command Center (DRCC) on Tuesday declared a “red alert” status as the southwest monsoon or “habagat” enhanced by Typhoon Carina continues to drench large parts of Luzon and Visayas islands.
“Secretary Rex Gatchalian has ordered the DRCC and the DSWD Field Offices (FOs) to be on the highest level of readiness as ‘Habagat’ intensifies due to Typhoon Carina,” DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao said in a statement.
Dumlao, also the Assistant Secretary for Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG), said a red alert means that “all human and material resources are made available for duty and deployment.”
Based on the July 23 report of the DSWD-Disaster Response Operations Management, Information Center (DROMIC), the agency has provided an initial PHP190,124 worth of humanitarian assistance to the affected localities in Regions 3 (Central Luzon), 5 (Bicol), and 6 (Western Visayas).
Dumlao said the National Resource and Logistics Management Bureau (NRLMB), the DSWD’s logistics arm under the DRMG, ensures the replenishment and availability of food and non-food items (FNIs) for resource augmentation to DSWD FOs as the need arises.
“Our DSWD in Western Visayas has provided food and non-food items (FNIs) to the families and persons affected by the effects of Habagat and Typhoon Carina in Iloilo City,” she said.
She said all the affected DSWD FOs are closely coordinating with the affected local government units and other concerned offices for significant updates and any augmentation requests.
The DSWD said Typhoon Carina has so far affected some 224 families or 975 persons in Bataan, Pampanga, Camarines Sur, Masbate, and Iloilo City.
There are 46 families or 152 persons taking temporary shelter in six evacuation centers in Central Luzon and Western Visayas regions.
“The DSWD currently maintains PHP2.5 billion worth of stockpile and stand by funds available for augmentation,” Dumlao said.
Some 1,543,560 boxes of family food packs (FFPs) have been prepositioned in various warehouses and resource centers, of which 129,735 FFPs are at the NROC in Pasay City.
Some 93,516 FFPs are at the Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) in Mandaue City, and 442,125 FFPs are available at DSWD’s regional offices 3, 5, and 6.
In other DSWD FOs, around 878,184 FFPs are available which may be used to support the relief needs of the affected families through inter-FO augmentation.
PAF assets ready
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) said all units in areas affected by bad weather have been alerted for possible humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) missions.
"The Tactical Operations Wing Northern Luzon, Tactical Operations Group 1, 2, and 3 alerted their troops to be on standby alert and ready for probable HADR efforts within their area of responsibilities. These units have established close coordination with the local Office of Civil Defense to monitor the situation and plan for response efforts," PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo said in a statement Tuesday.
She said the PAF, through its 505th Search and Rescue Group has a water search and rescue (WASAR) team on standby, including helicopters for search and rescue and air ambulance, ready for deployment at a moment's notice to conduct HADR operations.
The PAF also has six rapid response teams in Clark, Laoag, Palawan, Davao, Mactan, and Zamboanga, which are all trained, experienced, and equipped for emergency response.
Castillo said other air assets are ready for rapid damage assessment and needs analysis in coordination with local government units to determine the extent of damage and priority areas for relief operations. ( PNA)
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