ODIONGAN, Romblon (PIA) — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Mimaropa has begun prepositioning food packs in various island municipalities as part of its preparation for the anticipated La Niña weather phenomenon.
During the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas forum on June 11, DSWD Mimaropa regional director Leonardo Reynoso said that food packs have been dispatched to the island towns of Corcuera, San Jose, Banton, and Concepcion. Additional supplies are also stored in DSWD warehouses located on Sibuyan and Tablas Islands.
Reynoso stressed that their office has been proactive in distributing food packs to families affected by African swine fever and El Niño.
In a separate interview with Philippine Information Agency-Romblon, Corcuera municipal social welfare and development officer Mercy Familara reported that since June 1, they have received food packs intended for 1,860 farmers affected by El Niño.
“We are expecting another 9,000 food packs for our municipality to prepare for any disasters that might occur this year, especially strong typhoons,” said Familara.
The island towns in Romblon often face food supply shortages during typhoons due to the lack of commercial boats bringing goods to the area during bad weather.
Familara said that the prepositioning of food packs by DSWD aims to mitigate such shortages and ensure that residents have access to essential supplies during emergencies.
“It’s better to have this preposition because even if we lose transportation for two weeks due to bad weather, we can quickly deliver DSWD aid to families affected by calamities,” Familara said. (PJF/PIA Mimaropa-Romblon)
