The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is planning to set up a warehouse in every local government unit (LGU) in Western Visayas.

The initiative aims to ensure prompt assistance to communities impacted by disasters, DSWD Regional Director Arwin Razo said at a press conference yesterday.

“If they have a storage facility, we can sign an agreement for us to store family food packs and even other non-food items that they need,” Razo said.

They currently have partnerships with over 80 LGUs in the region, which have been provided with standby supplies for deployment during emergencies.

“For those with regional evacuation centers, it is automatic that we place standby goods in their facilities depending on their capacity. What we will do is monitor,” he added.

As items near expiration, they can be utilized in food-for-work programs, he said. LGUs simply need to submit proposals to the DSWD.

At present, DSWD has relief supplies prepositioned in its regional warehouses located in Oton, Iloilo and in Bacolod City, along with 69 key sites throughout the region.

This year, DSWD has allocated more than P365.2 million to support families affected by various disasters. (PNA)