The Philippines with its more than 7,000 islands is located within a tectonically active area prone to natural catastrophes ranging from earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and severe storms to floods. These lead to multi-billion peso damage to property and infrastructure, and the loss of lives.
To face these perennial problems, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., along with Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian, initiated a program called “Buong Bansa Handa.” It is a year-round disaster preparedness framework focusing on enhancing the community’s ability to withstand as well as lessen the impact of disasters.
The DSWD, with the assistance of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., launched the “Buong Bansa Handa” program during the 2023 post-SONA discussion on Environment Protection and Disaster Management on July 26, 2023.
This approach represents a significant shift. Rather than simply assisting after a disaster occurs, it focuses on preparing ahead of time with a better, more coordinated plan.
“The DSWD has formulated the plan based on President Marcos’ initiative to come up with fail-safe mechanisms for our supply chain. The goal is to be omnipresent, so to speak,” Secretary Gatchalian explained.
Through the new disaster program, President Marcos Jr. said citizens will “feel that the government is there, in fact, ahead, during, and right after a storm or a natural calamity.”
The Buong Bansa Handa Project has created two systems for improved disaster response, which would allow the DSWD to better support families affected by disasters.
It aims to augment the government’s ability to generate and render assistance. This includes increased production and dispatching from the headquarters and the 16 DSWD field offices’ warehouses in NROC, Pasay and VDRC, Cebu.
Second, the project will work with private businesses, including large and small-scale food retailers, supermarkets, food manufacturers and distributors.
This partnership will utilize their collective intelligence and resources to enhance the delivery of aid.
This initiative represents a significant paradigm shift in the approach of the Philippines in regard to disasters from mere event improvement to a much more preemptive strategy focused on preparation.
For years, relief efforts have been conducted to mitigate the impact of calamities. But a common criticism that persists is the lack of a strategic, coordinated effort at the national level.
This is where the program Buong Bansa Handa is designed to intervene by developing an all-around concept on how to prepare, respond, recover, and mitigate, according to President Marcos Jr’s vision.
Building on a good track record
A Pulse Asia survey (June 17-24, 2024) showed that 58% of Filipinos approved of the government’s quick response to calamities. The DSWD, collaborating with other agencies through a whole-of-government approach, continues to provide aid to disaster victims.
In line with the directive of President Marcos Jr., Secretary Gatchalian optimizes the agency’s preparedness for disasters and emergencies. The DSWD is eyeing to bring its prepositioned family food packs (FFPs) to 2.5 million boxes nationwide.
The DSWD Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) said that while the DSWD has already clinched a record-breaker with its 2.1 million food packs currently prepositioned across agency storage facilities nationwide, the department aims to produce more to further stabilize its supply chain.
The program ensures that FFPs are pre-positioned in strategic locations while new stocks are continuously produced at DSWD hubs. This guarantees sufficient aid supply.
The current allocation needs to be increased to 2.5 million FFPs and the DSWD is taking advantage of the current lull in major disasters affecting the country to prepare.
Based on the latest report of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Operations Management, Information Communication (DROMIC), 142,280 boxes of FFPs are stored at the National Resource Operations Center (NROC) in Pasay City and 135,168 FFPs at the Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) in Mandaue City, Cebu.
The agency is constantly monitoring stockpiles and production is ongoing at the National Resource and Operations Center and the Visayas Disaster Resource Center to increase its food pack supply.
Meanwhile, 262,066 FFPs are available at warehouses managed by DSWD Field Office (FO) 6 – Western Visayas and FO-7 – Central Visayas and concerned LGU-managed facilities amid the ongoing relief efforts for families still reeling from Mt. Kanlaon’s volcanic unrest.
As for other food and non-food items (FNIs), the NROC, VDRC, and DSWD Field Office warehouses have abundant supplies worth P925 million.
Family food packs in storage
The DSWD produced a record-breaking 9,856,984 family food packs (FFPs) in 2024. This surpassed previous production totals, with the agency’s two main hubs in Metro Manila and Cebu leading the effort.
Secretary Gatchalian, in line with President Marcos Jr’s directive, credits this achievement to intensified nationwide stockpiling and prepositioning, driven by the Buong Bansa Handa project.
The DSWD further assured the public that it remains committed to ensuring the swift and seamless delivery of relief supplies. As President Marcos always emphasizes, the disaster response must be timely, compassionate, and sufficient at all times.
At Pasay City’s NROC, volunteers work tirelessly to assemble family food packs for disaster relief efforts. Photo courtesy: DSWD FB page
The Buong Bansa Handa Program ensured an adequate stockpile of family food packs (FFPs) in the Bicol Region before Typhoon Kristine hit on October 21.
The FFPs and non-food items (FNFIs) were extended to almost seven million families affected by both major and minor disaster incidents recorded throughout 2024.
All year long, the DSWD moves goods, especially to the farthest municipalities and LGUs like Batanes.
At the same time, the DSWD also tapped disaster response innovations like Mobile Command Centers and water filtration kits to address the other immediate needs of the communities.
President Marcos Jr.’s instruction is to always preposition relief goods in close to 1,000 hubs, spokes, and last-mile warehouses nationwide.
Digital Monitoring ongoing
The year 2024 also showcased the agency’s decisive efforts to disaster-proof its digital monitoring system and communication lines for disaster response and emergency operations. This was done through the launching of the Disaster Response Command Center (DRCC) and the Mobile Command Center (MCC).
These were the projects that were closely spearheaded and supervised not just by Secretary Rex Gatchalian. These were also shepherded through President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s vision of a technology-driven disaster management system.
In January 2024, the newly renovated DRCC was unveiled, which coincided with the annual celebration of the DSWD’s anniversary.
The DRCC utilizes advanced information and communication equipment/assets to ensure the seamless collaboration between the DSWD’s Central Office, Field Offices (FOs), member agencies of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), and local government units (LGUs).
The DRCC was soon reinforced by the MCC and linked to the disaster-stricken areas via the Regional Operations Center (ROC), Disaster Response Command Center (DRCC), or the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC).
Each MCC is equipped with state-of-the-art satellite internet, gadgets, and generators. They are not just a stable source of power supply and internet connection for disaster responders, but also for disaster-affected communities.
Proactive approach
President Marcos Jr’s devotion to this program demonstrates his concern for the well-being of all Filipinos, as well as his proactive attitude to lessening the impact of disasters.
Gemma Morao, 39, from Magarao, Camarines Sur, expressed her gratitude for the help she received from the DSWD. “Thank you to the DSWD and to the government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. This is a huge help for us to start again. We will use it to buy the necessary materials for our house and also for food,” she said.
“Ako po ay nagpapasalamat sa malaking tulong ng DSWD para sa pagbigay ng financial assistance sa aming mga tinamaan ng bagyong Kristine. Malaking pasasalamat po namin kay Pangulong dahil siya ay gumawa ng aksiyon sa Bicol. Gagamitin ko o ang pera para sa gastusin sa palayan naming nasalanta ng bagyo at pambili na rin ng pagkain,” said Gerry Decierra, 52, from Nabua, Camarines Sur.
Under Secretary Gatchalian and with the help of the Marcos Jr. government, efforts are being done to ensure that like the phoenix, Filipinos will always rise from the ashes of calamities and disasters.
