The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has prepositioned 34,458 family food packs (FFPs) in strategic areas of Eastern Visayas in preparation for the “rainy days”.

The stocking of PHP22.74 million worth of food supplies as of Wednesday will ensure faster delivery of relief goods in case of severe flooding and other disasters, said lawyer Jonalyndie Chua, DSWD 8 (Eastern Visayas) information officer in a phone interview.

Of the total, 918 FFPs are in Catbalogan City, Samar province; 1,109 in Naval town, Biliran; 14,634 in Allen, Northern Samar; 1,400 in Santo Niño, Samar; 600 in Almagro, Samar; 163 in Giporlos, Eastern Samar; 1,000 in Biri, Northern Samar, and 14,634 at the DSWD regional resource operations center in Palo town, Leyte.

The food packs in Catbalogan are stored at the Philippine Army 8th Infantry Division headquarters while in Allen town, the Office of Civil Defense warehouse has been designated as a storage area.

“If there are disasters, we will produce more as the need arises. We have volunteers to help us repack goods,” Chua told the Philippine News Agency.

Each FFP contains six kilos of rice, four cans of corned beef, four cans of tuna flakes, two cans of sardines, five sachets of coffee, and five sachets of cereal drinks.

The DSWD has also prepared PHP10 million in standby funds for emergencies and 11,332 non-food items worth PHP20.78 million.

Non-food supplies include hygiene kits, kitchen sets, sleeping kits, collapsible water containers, and laminated sacks. (PNA)