The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it plans to procure additional specialized disaster-response equipment next year to strengthen its services during calamities.
DSWD Spokesperson Irene Dumlao said the agency aims to expand its inventory of mobile kitchens, command centers, water tanks, filtration systems, and portable shower facilities, citing their effectiveness in recent disaster operations. She did not specify the number of units to be procured or the budget allocated.
“Gusto natin dagdagan ‘yong ating mga specialized disaster equipment tulad ng ating mga mobile command centers at ating mga mobile kitchens pati na yung ating mga water tanks and water filtration systems,” Dumlao said in a television interview.
“Nakita natin kung paano ito nakatulong sa ating mga kababayan so we want to have more of these,” she added.
“We hope that aside from that makapagprocure din kami ng pangangailan sa mga evacuation centers like mga mobile shower systems para magamit sa mga evacuation centers,” she said.
Beyond equipment upgrades, Dumlao said the DSWD is also planning to increase beneficiary coverage across several social welfare programs by 2026.
“We are targeting to cover more than 4 million indigent senior citizens,” she said.
“Doon naman po sa supplementary feeding program, kung nasa 1.5 million tayo na kabataan, ang target naman po natin for next year ay ma-serve natin ang around 1.8 million na children enrolled in child development centers,” she said.
“Hopefully we can cover 3.6 million individuals in crisis situations by 2026,” she added.
The agency is likewise seeking to expand its “Walang Gutom Program” to over 600,000 beneficiaries and accredit more food vendors, while further digitalizing its systems to ensure accurate targeting and improved outcomes for marginalized Filipinos.