The Disaster Response Assistance Management Bureau (DReAMB) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is currently on blue alert as it monitors the progress of tropical storm ‘Gorio’ which is now causing heavy rains in various areas in Luzon and Visayas including the National Capital Region.

Blue alert is the second stage of alert for an approaching storm during which emergency preparations are carried out according to plan.

As part of preparations should ‘Gorio’ gain strength, the DSWD Central Office (CO), Field Offices (FOs), and National Resource Operations Center (NROC) have  a  total of 488,800 Family Food Packs (FFPs) amounting to ₱169,423,635.05 and available Food and Non-food Items (FNIs) amounting to ₱470,726,901.89 as stockpiles.

The DSWD CO and FOs also maintain standby funds amounting to ₱1,082,509,747.33. Of the said amount, ₱1,036,142,453.07 is the available Quick Response Fund in the CO.

In terms of human resource capacity, the Department has a total of 1,544 staff in 18 regions comprising the Quick Response Teams including Social Welfare and Development Teams (SWADTs) and Provincial / City / Municipal Action Teams (P/C/MATs) who are ready to be deployed to assist local government units (LGUs) along disaster operations and management of evacuation centers, if needed.

Parent leaders of Pantawid Pamilya are also ready as force multipliers on humanitarian response operations nationwide.

DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, once again, appealed to the public to heed announcements of their local authorities for their safety. ###