The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) – Negros Island Region (NIR) distributed on Friday food and non-food items (FNFIs) to local government units (LGUs) in preparation for the possible onslaught of Tropical Depression Basyang.

As of 11 a.m. Friday, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 remains hoisted in Negros Occidental, including the highly urbanized Bacolod City.

Stockpiles of FNFIs are prepositioned in three warehouses, with two in Bacolod City – in Barangay Singcang-Airport and Bredco port – and one in Dumaguete City.

Prepositioned resources since Thursday included 168,067 family food packs (FFPs), 10,784 boxes of ready-to-eat food (RTEF), 5,970 non-food items (NFIs), and 1,161 other NFIs.

At the Bacolod warehouse on Friday, 1,000 FFPs have been hauled for Hinigaran town in southern Negros, where a forced evacuation is being implemented in identified high-risk areas in five barangays.

In a statement, DSWD-NIR Director Arwin Razo said the stationing of stockpiles in these warehouses allows for the rapid mobilization of assistance to affected LGUs.

“We have also prepositioned relief goods in 31 LGUs to ensure immediate assistance to communities at risk,” he added.

Razo said the DSWD-NIR is closely coordinating with the LGUs, the regional disaster risk reduction and management council, and partner agencies to ensure timely assistance to communities that may be affected.

“Our field office remains on standby to augment resources and deploy quick response teams as needed,” he said.

At the Bredco port warehouse here, 235 RTEF boxes were picked up for distribution to stranded passengers staying at the Education and Training Center School-III since Thursday afternoon.

In northern Negros, RTEF boxes were also provided to stranded individuals in the ports of Escalante City, San Carlos City, and EB Magalona port. (PNA)