The Department of Social Welfare and Development is urging local government units (LGUs) in Western Visayas to have their own warehouse for the prepositioning of goods.

Disaster Response Management Division Chief Erlyn Garcia of the DSWD Field Office in Western Visayas said the prepositioning of goods is part of their proactive response.

“We are encouraging LGUs to establish their own warehouse, for us to deliver our prepositioned goods as part of our preparations,” Garcia said during the full council meeting of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Tuesday.

She said that currently, there are 83 LGUs with their own warehouse across the region.

She said the DSWD offers relief preposition agreements, but there are LGUs that have no warehouse, especially in island barangays.

Garcia explained that as long as LGUs have an agreement with the DSWD, the agency has the responsibility to ensure that the warehouses have prepositioned goods.

The role of the national agency, she said, is more on augmentation because the first to respond will be the LGU.

Meanwhile, the DSWD said it has already provided assistance to some 42.36 percent of the 122,368 families needing aid as a result of the series of weather disturbances.

The cost of assistance amounted to over PHP41.28 million. (PNA)