The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday said it has so far released more than 54,000 family food packs to families affected by tropical cyclones Luis, Maymay and the southwest monsoon or “habagat”.

“To date, we’ve released 54,370 family food packs (FFPs). We expect that number to go up kasi (because) right now we’re processing more requests from local government units who are asking for augmentation,” DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian said in a Palace press briefing.

As of 6 a.m. Monday, the DSWD has released 54,370 FFPs; 2,722 ready-to-eat food (RTEF) boxes; and 1,376 non-food items (NFIs) to affected families and individuals.

The Department has also provided PHP928,000 in financial aid through its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program.

Gatchalian said the government is maintaining nearly five million family food packs and hundreds of thousands of non-food relief items in more than 1,000 warehouses to ensure immediate relief for communities affected by typhoons and other disasters.

He added that the government continues to increase its stockpile in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to preposition relief supplies ahead of typhoons, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other disasters.

The DSWD produces FFPs daily at the Luzon Disaster Resource Center and the Visayas Disaster Resources Center to replenish its stockpile and ensure that relief supplies remain available for immediate deployment during disasters.

Under the Buong Bansa Handa (BBH) program, the DSWD also maintains framework agreements with the private sector, such as large groceries and supermarkets, to leverage their technical expertise and resources to create a private sector-driven supply chain, allowing the DSWD to preposition goods even in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs).

“This (five million) is the largest stockpile the country has had since we started implementing this system,” Gatchalian said.

Aside from food packs, some 245,474 non-food items are also on standby nationwide for immediate deployment to affected communities.

Gatchalian said the continued prepositioning of relief supplies is intended to ensure that assistance reaches disaster-hit families as quickly as possible, in addition to the financial assistance being provided to typhoon victims.

Aside from the ongoing disaster operations responding to various calamities, the DSWD is also closely monitoring weather bulletins for the possible effects of Tropical Storm Peilou outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility. (PNA)