The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Friday expressed readiness to assist local government units with more than two million boxes of family food packs (FFPs) available in the agency’s warehouses across the country.

Assistant Secretary for Disaster Response Management Group Irene Dumlao said the food packs are so far the highest number of FFPs prepositioned in the agency’s warehouses nationwide that are ready for augmentation during disaster operations.

“The FFPs are continuously being produced to ensure availability of relief goods whenever a disaster or emergency occurs,” Dumlao said.

Based on the Oct. 9 report of the agency’s Disaster Response Operations Management, Information and Communication, there are more than 200,000 boxes of FFPs in the DSWD’s National Resource Operations Center, the main disaster response hub located in Pasay City.

In the Visayas, the DSWD’s Visayas Disaster Resource Center in Mandaue City, Cebu has a total of 247,765 FFPs ready for distribution.

The DSWD also manages storage facilities in the other regions.

“We reiterate that disaster preparation in the DSWD is year-round. The replenishment of FFPs is part of the proactive measure being taken by the DSWD. We always ensure that there are enough FFPs especially that our disaster response for Super Typhoon Julian, Mt. Kanlaon eruption and other recent calamities is still ongoing,” Dumlao said. (PNA)