The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is prepared to provide food assistance to families who may be affected by the Super El Niño, Secretary Rex Gatchalian said Monday.

Gatchalian gave the assurance during his inspection of the ongoing construction of the DSWD regional warehouse in Barangay Tumcon Ilaya, Pototan, Iloilo.

The facility will serve as a hub for receiving, storing, processing and packaging food and non-food items for disaster-affected families across Western Visayas. The DSWD also provides interventions such as cash assistance.

Gatchalian highlighted the agency’s long-term Project LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access) and BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished), which help communities establish small water-impounding facilities while promoting food and water security.

He said thousands of community-based impounding areas have already been established, with some communities now earning from harvested produce sold locally and to national government agencies.

The strategically located regional warehouse, built on land donated by the Pototan local government, is near Capiz, Antique, an airport and a seaport.

“Right now we have around 100,000 family food packs prepositioned in the region,” Gatchalian said.

The three-phase warehouse can accommodate up to 150,000 family food packs. (PNA)