Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian has ordered the release of an additional 100,000 family food packs (FFPs) to the Bicol Region for Albay residents affected by Mayon Volcano’s unrest.

Gatchalian also directed DSWD 5 (Bicol) Director Norman Laurio to distribute ready-to-eat food (RTEF) boxes to the affected families.

“Nagbigay po ng kautusan si Secretary Rex Gatchalian na dagdagan natin yung ating mga prepositioned goods. Around 100,000 (food packs) ang ipapadala pa natin (Secretary Gatchalian has ordered to augment the prepositioned goods. We will send about 100,000 additional food packs) to augment these goods that are already prepositioned,” Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the Disaster Response Management Group said in a radio interview on Wednesday.

Dumlao said the department is on full alert, with food and non-food items already prepositioned in various warehouses in Bicol.

As of Wednesday, DSWD-5 has more than 111,000 FFPs, about 16,500 RTEF boxes, and more than 15,000 non-food items in warehouses across the region.

Dumlao said after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the status of Mayon volcano to Alert Level 3 on Tuesday, Laurio led the distribution of 163 RTEF boxes to evacuees currently staying at the Tagaytay Elementary School and Bariw Elementary School in Camalig, Albay.

The DSWD-5 also set up 25 modular tents at the Buang Evacuation Center and Buang Covered Court in Tabaco City, Albay for evacuees living within the 6-km. radius permanent danger zone.

“The Bicol field office also continues to closely coordinate with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and local chief executives to determine other forms of assistance needed by their constituents,” Dumlao said. (PNA)