THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Tuesday said it would finance the construction of a P1.5-billion Disaster Resource Center of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Mindanao.
Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said the project is expected to begin within the year after discussions with Social Welfare Secretary Rexlon T. Gatchalian.
“We talked with Secretary Rex, and we asked how much would be needed to build something like this,” she told reporters during a visit to the National Resource Operations Center in Pasay City, according to a Facebook livestream video. “Hopefully, we want the construction to start within the year.”
Family food packs are prepared and stored at the center before being distributed during calamities.
Mr. Gatchalian said the facility would be located beside the Butuan Airport for faster logistical response. “The local government unit gave us a parcel of land next to the airport. For logistical purposes, it’s literally next to Butuan Airport,” he told reporters.
The DSWD operates about 1,000 warehouses nationwide, though many are borrowed or rented, limiting long-term disaster preparedness. The planned center in Mindanao is envisioned to serve as a major hub for relief operations, ensuring more efficient storage and distribution of goods in disaster-prone areas. — ARAI
