Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Tuesday (July 25) directed the Disaster Response and Management Group (DRMG) to ensure the interoperability of the Ilocos Region and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) in terms of immediate delivery of relief goods to Cagayan province, which is expected to be hardest hit by Typhoon Egay.

“Kindly make sure we plot out interoperability for Cagayan from Ilocos Norte and CAR,” the DSWD chief told DRMG Assistant Secretary Marlon Alagao.

Secretary Gatchalian had earlier asked the DSWD Cagayan Valley Regional Director Lucia Alan regarding the regional office’s inventory of family food packs (FFPs) in the event that Typhoon Egay hits the northern most tip of Cagayan province, which is now under Signal No. 3.

“If Typhoon Egay hits the northernmost part which is Aparri, the nearest warehouse is in Lallo, which is only about 20-30 minutes away. In the Calayan Island, we prepositioned 1,000 FFPs,” Director Alan reported to the DSWD chief.

Director Alan said the DSWD warehouse in Abulug town has a stockpile of 12,000 FFPs, which will cover the 2nd District areas of Abulug, Allacapan, Ballesteros, Calayan, Claveria, Lasam, Pamplona, Piat, Rizal, Sanchez-Mira, Santa Praxedes and Santo Niño.

Another 6,000 FFPs are stockpiled in the Lallo warehouse, which will cover the northern-most towns of Aparri, Sta. Ana and the nearby Munis.

Director Alan also reported Secretary Gatchalian that Field Office-2 has an available truck in Lallo town on standby for the ferrying of food packs and clean drinking water and ready for distribution to would-be internally-displaced families (IDPs).

“We are closely coordinating with the LGUs concerned, assuring them of our augmentation aside from the prepositioned food packs in these areas,” Director Alan reported.

Director Alan has issued a memorandum order to concerned staff to report to their respective offices to ensure continued operations of DSWD frontline services as well as continuous activation of disaster duty in the different satellite offices of Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya.

DRMG’s Asst. Secretary Alagao directed all regional directors concerned to keep updating their database on FFPs storage capacities of their warehouses.

On Monday (July 24), the DRMG dispatched various canned goods and food items for Regions 1 (Ilocos), 2 (Cagayan Valley), 3 (Central Luzon), 5 (Bicol), 6 (Western Visayas), CAR, Calabarzon, National Capital Region and the Visayas Distribution Resource Center (VDRC).

CAR Regional Director Leo Quintilla reported to the DRMG that the field office’s Kalinga warehouse can mobilize relief goods to Cagayan province when the need arises’

“Our Apayao stockpile is ready to augment FO-2 if needed. We can use the PLGU (provincial local government unit) warehouse in Apayao, in case we need to increase the number of relief goods. Our team will coordinate with Gov. Elias “Butzy” Bulut,” Director Quintilla reported to the DRMG.

Director Quintilla also reported that the CAR’s Luna warehouse in Apayao province can accommodate 5,000 FFPs.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) raised Signal No. 3 on Monday (July 24) as Typhoon Egay (International name: Doksuri) continues to intensify as it enters the Philippine area of responsibility.#