The “ber” months are here – and so is the rainy season. With the storm season, DSWD stands ready for any emergencies that might occur.

DSWD has already started pre-positioning food packs and non-food items in the event of emergencies. This prepositioning is being facilitated as a preparedness-response activity of the department to ensure that local government units are ready to provide timely assistance.

DSWD Regional Director Restituto Macuto said it will help LGUs which are highly susceptible to hazards, including those which are frequented by typhoon due to its geographical location.

As of presstime, local government units such as Alang-alang, Mayorga, Pastrana, Tunga and Villaba in Leyte, Liloan, Limasawa, Maasin City and Saint Bernard in Southern Leyte, Basey and Talalora in Western Samar, and Rosario, San Isidro, and Victoria in Northern Samar have the prepositioned goods with them.

More LGUs will have the prepositioned goods following the finalization of the memoranda of agreement with the DSWD.

The DSWD Field Office always sees to it that there are at least 30,000 food packs available at any given time in the region.

Aside from the food packs being produced here in the region, additional packs are also available at the Visayas Disaster Relief Center in Cebu and from the Central Office.

These food packs include 6 kilograms of rice and 8 combined canned goods (beef loaf and corned beef). These go through the strictest quality control to ensure that they will be fit for consumption in cases of emergency.

The DSWD would also like to remind that these food items are not for sale, and that there are stiff penalties for people who are caught selling these items.