The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has expressed its readiness to assist families affected by the explosive eruption of Kanlaon Volcano early Tuesday, April 8.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian reassured the public that the agency is prepared to dispatch family food packs and other essential assistance to those affected.
He pointed out that over 250,000 family food packs (FFPs) were stored in the DSWD’s Field Offices 6 and 7 in Western and Central Visayas, respectively, ahead of the explosive eruption.
"As I speak, our Field Offices in Western and Central Visayas are closely coordinating with affected local government units (LGUs) so we can get real-time updates on the status of affected families, and their need for more provisions of family food packs and non-food items," said Gatchalian.
The DSWD chief further explained that since the explosive eruption on December 9, the agency has been sending large quantities of family food packs (FFPs) to the local government units (LGUs) in Western and Central Visayas.
Furthermore, he noted that the DSWD will continue to provide additional supplies, as the local response to the latest eruption may demand more assistance.
Gatchalian stated that the agency anticipates a possible increase in the number of evacuees following the eruption, but emphasized that they are fully prepared for the situation.
"Our nearby warehouses are capacitated. In fact, apart from the more than 100,000 FFPs in Negros Island, we have over 2.5 million boxes of FFPs prepositioned in other warehouses across the country which we can tap anytime for our relief response," he added.
In addition to FPPs, the agency also has P865,447,008 worth of non-food items, including kitchen kits, family kits, sleeping kits, hygiene kits, laminated sacks, and other relief supplies.
Gatchalian then urged residents in nearby communities to follow the emergency evacuation orders issued by the LGUs and prioritize their safety.
“Help is coming their way, so the first thing that they should prioritize is their safety. We will see to it that all our resources will be pooled to also assure their comfort," Gatchalian assured.
In an exclusive interview with DZRH, PHIVOLCS Director Teresito Bacolcol explained that the eruption was likely triggered by the clogging of the volcano's vent, adding that only a few earthquakes had been recorded in the days leading up to the event.
Alert Level 3 remains in effect over Kanlaon Volcano.
