DSWD boosts relief storage, food aid in Eastern Samar

TACLOBAN CITY—The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) expanded its relief storage capacity in Eastern Visayas, providing community kitchen equipment to three Eastern Samar towns to strengthen disaster response and food assistance for affected families.

The DSWD carried out the initiatives on Monday and inaugurated a1,200-square-meter extension of the agency’s Regional Resource Operations Center (RROC) warehouse in Barangay 71, Naga-Naga. It also led the turnover of World Food Programme (WFP) Community Kitchen Kits to the municipal governments of Balangiga, Giporlos, and Lawaan.

According to DSWD, the warehouse extension can accommodate up to 50,000 family food boxes, all ready for deployment to disaster-affected communities.

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READ: DSWD to improve storage of relief goods

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The expanded facility is expected to improve the prepositioning of relief supplies and enable the DSWD to provide timely additional assistance to local government units during emergencies.

DSWD said the community kitchen kits, meanwhile, are intended to help the three recipient municipalities prepare and serve hot, nutritious meals to families displaced by disasters, particularly those staying in evacuation centers.

“The municipal government of Balangiga is fortunate to have received this community kitchen to better help the people of Balangiga, so I thank WFP and DSWD for this,” said Balangiga Mayor Dana Flynch De Lira in her statement of acceptance.

Balangiga, Giporlos and Lawaan were among 13 local government units identified as highly vulnerable to disasters and in need of additional support to improve their emergency response and food assistance capabilities.

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WFP Program Associate Arlene Robles underscored the importance of sustained cooperation with the DSWD in strengthening community preparedness and ensuring that disaster-affected families receive essential assistance.

Assistant Regional Director for Operations Artemio Bautista led the inauguration and turnover activities, joined by members of the DSWD Field Office VIII Management Committee, personnel of the Disaster Response Management Division, and other agency personnel.

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All these initiatives are seen to strengthen disaster preparedness, maintain adequate relief supplies, and improve coordination with humanitarian partners and local governments in delivering assistance to communities affected by emergencies./coa