Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian has directed the agency’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) to work double time in augmenting the stockpiles of family food packs (FFPs) in Field Offices 6 (Western Visayas) and 7 (Central Visayas) amid the looming eruption of Kanlaon volcano.
On Saturday (January 11), Secretary Gatchalian assured DSWD Regional Directors Shalaine Lucero of FO-7 and Arwin Razo of FO-6 that they will receive their additional FFPs starting on Sunday (January 12).
The DSWD chief said the goal of the DRMG-National Resource and Logistics Management Bureau (NRLMB) is to preposition 100,000 boxes of FFPs in the whole of Negros Island amid another possible eruption of Mt. Kanlaon.
“We will massively send FFP stockpiles to Negros Oriental (Region 7) and Negros Occidental (Region 6) starting Sunday. We will fill our provincial warehouses on the island to the brim,” Secretary Gatchalian assured the regional directors of FOs 6 and 7.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported on Saturday that pressure may be building up and lead to another eruption of Kanlaon Volcano after the detection of more ground swelling.
Kanlaon Volcano erupted last Dec. 9, producing a voluminous plume that rose to 3,000 meters above the vent and drifted west-southwest. This prompted Phivolcs to raise Alert Level 3.
“The overall parameters may indicate that the shallow magma conduit of the volcano is undergoing pressurization that may lead to an eruption broadly similar to the December 9, 2024 event,” Phivolcs warned.
Field Office 7 RD Lucero reported to the DSWD chief that she has directed the warehouse manager to check on other warehouses to serve as back-up for the prepositioned FFPs.
Field Office 6 RD Razo told Secretary Gatchalian that the DSWD-rented warehouse in Bacolod can accommodate up to 50,000 boxes of food packs.
“I have instructed my team to check on other available warehouse of LGUs (local government units) na pwede pang magamit,” RD Razo reported to the DSWD chief.
Secretary Gatchalian told officials of the DRMG-NRLMB to make sure that by Monday (January 13), 40,000 boxes of food packs have been delivered to Negros Oriental and another 40,000 FFPs to Negros Occidental. These FFPs are on top of the current stockpiles of FOs 6 and 7.
“Check the maximum capacity for both sides of Kanlaon. I want maximum capacity the warehouses of Negros Oriental and Occidental. So we have to be ready,” Secretary Gatchalian said.
