MANILA – Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Wednesday ordered the prepositioning of more family food packs (FFPs) as Typhoon Ofel (international name Usagi) threatens Northern Luzon.
Gatchalian directed the Disaster Response Management Group’s (DRMG) National Logistic and Resources Management Bureau (NLRMB) to tap the assistance of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to transport sufficient FFPs to the remote province of Batanes Islands.
He said Ofel and Tropical Storm Pepito are forecast to traverse areas, particularly Aurora, Isabela, and Cagayan provinces which were recently ravaged by Severe Tropical Storm Nika.
“We can see that the paths of Ofel and Pepito are going northwards again. So we have to keep pushing more FFPs daily until Tuesday in our northern Field Offices. Include our FO 3 outpost in Aurora province,” Gatchalian told DRMG.
The NLRMB reported there were two sorties of the PAF’s C-130 cargo plane bound for Batanes on Wednesday. The first C-130 with tail number 5157 delivered 800 boxes of FFPs at 9:30 a.m. while another C-130 (4704) with 800 boxes of FFPs landed at Basco airport in Batanes at 10:30 a.m.
Another C-130 plane is scheduled to deliver an additional 800 FFPs to Basco, Batanes on Thursday.
Meanwhile, a PCG ship loaded with 8,000 boxes of FFPs is expected to depart Pier 13 in the Port of Manila on Friday bound for the Port of Basco in Batanes.
As of Tuesday, the DSWD’s National Resources Operations Center (NROC) in Pasay City as well as the agency’s hub in San Simon, Pampanga have dispatched a total of 33, 600 FFPs broken down as follows: FO 1 (Ilocos) – 11, 900 FFPs (8, 500 from NROC and 3, 400 from San Simon); FO 2 (Cagayan Valley) – 1, 700 FFPs from NROC; FO 3 (Central Luzon) – 3, 000 FFPS from San Simon; FO 5 (Bicol) – 10,200 FFPs from NROC; and FO-Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) – 6, 800 FFPs from NROC.
Also on Tuesday, the Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) based in Cebu was able to dispatch 13, 400 FFPs broken down as follows: FO 6 (Western Visayas) – 1, 700 FFPs; FO 7 (Central Visayas) – 5, 000 FFPs; and FO 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN) – 6, 700 FFPs. (PNA)