The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) fully activated its hub in San Simon town in Pampanga, which is set to dispatch 10,000 to 15,000 boxes of family food packs (FFPs) a day to the Ilocos Region and other local government units (LGUs) hit by Typhoon Marce.

DSWD hubs in Central Luzon are at full throttle, particularly for Northern Luzon which sustained the most damage from the series of disasters, Disaster Response Management Group Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said on Friday.

“In fact, just yesterday (Nov. 7), we have already deployed 1,700 FFPs from our Pampanga hub bound for our field office in the Ilocos Region,” Dumlao said in a news release.

The National Resource Operations Center (NROC) in Pasay City has been repacking 20,000 to 25,000 boxes of relief supplies each day to stabilize the agency’s stockpile amid continuous LGU requests for those affected by tropical cyclones Kristine, Leon, and Marce.

Dumlao assured LGUs that the DSWD Field Office-Cagayan Valley (FO-2) quick response teams have been deployed to areas hit by Marce.

On Thursday, the FO-2 provided 70 FFPs, 44 sleeping kits and 24 family kits to affected families in the municipality of Camalaniugan; 60 FFPs and 14 family kits to Lal-Lo; and 313 FFPs to Appari, all in Cagayan province.

The FO- Cordillera Administrative Region, in partnership with local disaster responders, also assisted 85 families or 242 individuals evacuated to the Consuela Barangay Hall in Sta. Marcela, Apayao province.

Dumlao said an additional 8,000 boxes of FFPs are enroute to Batanes province via the Philippine Coast Guard’s BRP Gabriela Silang. (PNA)