DSWD teams bracing for incoming storm
MANILA, Philippines — Quick response teams of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) remain on full alert for the potential impact of Severe Tropical Storm Saudel, which is unlikely to make landfall but is still expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) by Monday.
Weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Saudel was last tracked outside PAR northeast of Luzon and is expected to intensify the southwest monsoon or “habagat,” which has brought heavy rain in the country for almost three straight weeks in August.
Saudel will have the name Obet once it enters PAR.
Prepositioned supplies
In a statement on Friday, Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group, the agency’s quick response teams “are ready to respond to the expected heavy rain brought by the southwest monsoon next week. Even if the weather improves this weekend, we are still on alert.”
She said DSWD maintains sufficient relief stockpiles to support communities that may experience heavy downpour.
The agency said it has a total of 3,854,112 family food packs (FFPs), 275,983 nonfood items (NFIs) and 315,172 ready-to-eat food (RTEF) items prepositioned in warehouses nationwide as well as P715.25 million in quick response funds.
“This is enough to sustain our disaster response operations nationwide,” Dumlao said.
The DSWD also continues to provide relief and other assistance to families impacted by the recent monsoon rains, having provided a P1.03 billion worth of humanitarian aid to 2,042,703 affected families nationwide.
The department said it has distributed 1.66 million FFPs, 13,864 nonfood items NFIs, 22,993 RTEF items and P2.76 million in financial aid to affected communities.
“In line with President Marcos’ instructions to hasten the distribution of assistance, we are now coordinating with social action centers and even churches nationwide if we can store our FFPs there. This is another measure to ensure that FFPs are immediately accessible to affected families,” Dumlao said.
In Pampanga province, for instance, the DSWD Field Office-Central Luzon has coordinated with San Pablo Chapel and Santo Cristo Chapel in Guagua to distribute 970 food packs to affected households.
Dumlao said the DSWD is coordinating as well with the local governments “to identify the help they need and to immediately send the additional relief supplies.”
Dam water levels
Pagasa, meanwhile, said on Saturday morning the water levels of Angat, Ambuklao, Binga and Pantabangan dams have slightly increased, while the water levels at Ipo, La Mesa, San Roque and Magat have decreased, amid two days of relatively fair weather since Friday.
Angat Dam in Bulacan saw the biggest water level increase by 0.57 meters (m), from 189.90 m to 190.47 m.
Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija had a 0.38 m increase (from 189.46 m to 189.84 m); Ambuklao Dam in Benguet, 0.35 m (from 751.23 m to 751.58 m); and Binga Dam also in Benguet, 0.26 m (from 574.31 m to 574.57 m).
Pagasa said one gate each of Ambuklao and Binga Dams was opened on Saturday.
Water level declines were reported in Ipo Dam in Bulacan (-0.81 m, from 100.93 m to 100.12 m), La Mesa Dam in Quezon City (-0.23m, from 79.59 m to 79.36 m), San Roque Dam in Pangasinan (-0.21m, from 275.44 m to 275.23 m), and Magat Dam in Isabela (-0.05m, from 178.96 m to 178.91 m).
The water level at Caliraya Dam in Laguna remained the same at 286.40 m.
Pagasa said in its Saturday forecast habagat is expected to bring rains in parts of Northern and Central Luzon and their surrounding areas, while Visayas and Mindanao will have generally fair weather conditions but with a chance of thunderstorms. —REPORTS FROM PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY, AND DIANNE SAMPANG
