By Nanette L. Guadalquiver

MANILA – The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Disaster Response Management Group is working double time to augment the stockpiles of family food packs (FFPs) in Field Offices 6 (Western Visayas) and 7 (Central Visayas) amid the looming eruption of Kanlaon volcano.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian assured DSWD Regional Directors Shalaine Lucero of FO-7 and Arwin Razo of FO-6 that they will receive their additional FFPs starting Sunday, according to a news release.
He 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,” Gatchalian said.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported on Saturday that pressure is building up and may lead to another eruption of after the detection of more ground swelling.
Kanlaon Volcano erupted on Dec. 9, 2024, producing a voluminous plume that rose to 3,000 meters above the vent and drifted west-southwest. It 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.
Lucero has directed the warehouse manager to check on other warehouses to serve as backup for the prepositioned FFPs.
Razo said the DSWD-rented warehouse in Bacolod City can accommodate up to 50,000 boxes of food packs.
“I have instructed my team to check on other available warehouses of LGUs (local government units) na pwede pang magamit (that can be used),” Rzao said.
Gatchalian told officials of the DRMG-NRLMB to make sure that by Monday, 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,” Gatchalian said. (With reports from Nanette L. Guadalquiver/ PNA)