DSWD braces for Typhoon Mawar; extra food packs ready

Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian answers questions from media members during his first press briefing as DSWD Secretary on February 3, 2023 at DSWD Central Office. INQUIRER.net file photo / NOY MORCOSO

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 689,885 family food packages have been pre-positioned “nationwide” by the state social welfare bureau in preparation for possible supertyphoon Mawar.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) also started the delivery of additional 98,000 food packs to Regions 1-3, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and Visayas, according to a Tuesday press briefing. The move is part of the department’s efforts to “augment the possible effects of this supertyphoon,” according to DSWD Special Assistant to the Secretary Marlon Alagao.

“We augmented it, paying close attention to Region 1, 2, and 3’s eastern seaboards… We made sure to double up our capacities in those areas,” said Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian, citing regions tagged most vulnerable to the typhoon.

DSWD will have doubled food aid in Ilocos to 100,000 packs from its initial 50,000 by the end of Tuesday. According to Gatchalian, Batanes’ inventory will also spike to a total of 13,000 packs from its current 6,000 by Wednesday.

Alagao reported that Typhoon Mawar is expected to hit the country’s northwestern regions and will travel north following a Tuesday meeting between the Disaster Response Management Bureau and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

“We are ready to provide family food packs wherever the disaster strikes,” Alagao added.

Pagasa previously warned that the disturbance might strengthen into a supertyphoon, possibly entering the Philippine area of responsibility this Friday.

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JPVabc