LUCENA CITY, Quezon — As part of its “Buong Bansa Handa” (Whole Nation Ready) disaster preparedness strategy, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office IV-A has prepositioned a massive stockpile of relief supplies across CALABARZON. The move, announced on May 7, 2026, is a direct response to the increasing threat of a “moderate to strong” El Niño phenomenon projected to hit the country by late 2026.
The agency has activated its regional logistics network to ensure that vulnerable families in Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon have immediate access to aid if extreme dry conditions lead to food or water insecurity.
The DSWD has strategically distributed the following items throughout its 82 last-mile warehouses in the region to minimize response time:
- Family Food Packs (FFPs): 224,051 packs (designed to sustain a family of five for two days).
- Ready-to-Eat Food (RTEF): 10,396 packs (Halal-certified meals for areas with limited cooking facilities).
- Non-Food Relief Items:
- 4,502 Hygiene Kits
- 3,132 Sleeping Kits
- 2,205 Kitchen Kits
- 261 Family Clothing Kits
The DSWD CALABARZON is not just focusing on immediate relief but is also implementing long-term climate resilience programs.
- Physical Inventory (May 2026): Throughout the month of May, field offices are conducting rigorous quality and quantity checks of all prepositioned stocks to ensure that nothing has expired or been damaged by heat.
- Project LAWA at BINHI: As of May 2026, over 13,000 residents in 43 localities are being tapped for the Local Adaptation to Water Access (LAWA) and Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished (BINHI) projects. Participants engage in rehabilitating farm reservoirs and community gardens in exchange for cash-for-work assistance.
- Heat Index Monitoring: The DSWD is coordinating closely with local government units (LGUs) as heat indices in some parts of the region are forecast to hit “danger” levels (above 42°C) as early as May 8.
The latest report from PAGASA indicates a 92% probability of a significant El Niño event starting in the fourth quarter of 2026 and potentially lasting until early 2027. While CALABARZON is often hit by typhoons during this period, the “double threat” of drought followed by intense storms necessitates a larger-than-average stockpile.
“Our goal is to be ‘omnipresent’ in our response,” a DSWD regional official stated. “Prepositioning allows us to give aid even before a disaster reaches its peak, protecting the most vulnerable sectors like our farmers and informal settlers.”