GENERAL SANTOS CITY (PIA) — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in SOCCSKSARGEN region highlighted the vital role it plays in responding to disasters and emergencies.
The DSWD said they are committed to enhancing their preparedness to better serve affected populations during times of crisis.
Bonifacio V. Selma, assistant regional director for operations at the DSWD Field Office in Region 12, emphasized the agency’s enhanced response capabilities over the years.
“From maintaining just 1,000 family food packs in our warehouses a decade ago, we have learned from past disasters like Typhoons Sendong, Pablo, and Yolanda that we need to substantially increase our readiness,” Selma said at a recent press conference.
The DSWD in the region currently maintains a stockpile of at least 80,000 family food packs, which are ready for immediate deployment in the event of disasters such as major earthquakes, floods, and other emergencies.
“Our preparation is not limited to Region 12 alone,” he stressed. “We are also ready to assist neighboring regions, including Davao, if necessary,” he said.
Selma further emphasized that, in addition to food items, non-food essentials are also prepositioned to meet the needs of affected populations.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the region also emphasized its role during the crisis.
Warren Jay Nantes, a senior technical staff member for DTI’s Consumer Protection Division in the region, highlighted the agency’s ongoing efforts to stabilize prices during emergencies.
He also assured that DTI will have an uninterrupted delivery of essential services even during disasters.
Nantes explained that when a state of calamity is declared, DTI automatically enforces a price freeze on basic necessities for a duration of 60 days.
He said that the products, which include canned fish, sardines, candles, bottled water, and locally manufactured instant noodles, are among those that will be frozen for 60 days.
Prices for liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, however, will freeze for 15 days during a disaster.
Moreover, Nantes emphasized DTI’s responsibility in ensuring that construction materials comply with the Philippine National Standards (PNS).
He stated that hardware stores are required to sell construction materials that display mandatory PNS labels.
The labels must include the manufacturer’s name and address, the brand, trade name, and recognized trademark. Additionally, they should display either the Philippine Standard (PS) mark or the Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) mark, as well as the country of manufacture.
According to Nantes, specific mandatory labels are required for each type of construction material, including logos for steel bars and equal leg angle bars that have been approved by the DTI-Bureau of Philippine Standards.
Nantes reiterated that, even in the absence of a calamity declaration, the DTI routinely conducts weekly monitoring of prices and supply across supermarkets, convenience stores, and sari-sari stores, including hardware stores.
The goal is to ensure that basic commodities and construction materials for homes and businesses are sold in accordance with the law and, most importantly, to protect the best interests of consumers and users, he said. (SRMP, PIA SarGen)
