THE government is planning to establish more repacking facilities to speed up the delivery of aid to typhoon-affected areas.
In a Malacañang briefing on Thursday, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian said constructing additional repacking centers is part of the administration’s anticipatory action to ensure every Filipino receives assistance as quickly as possible.
“There are plans, part of the anticipatory actions to build one (repacking center), starting next year,” Gatchalian said.
“So, we wanna make sure na bukod sa mga regional, provincial, municipal warehouse natin, ‘yung repacking center natin nakakalat rin dapat sa buong bansa. So, that’s something that we’re working on right now,” he added.
Currently, the country has two repacking centers: the Pasay hub, which is the National Resource Operations Center, and the Cebu hub, which primarily serves the Visayas and Mindanao.
According to Gatchalian, a third center will be built in the Caraga Region, particularly in Butuan, to serve Mindanao, as well as the typhoon-prone areas in the eastern seaboard of Visayas and Mindanao.
“The site has been given to us by the city government of Butuan right beside the airport,” he said.
Gatchalian said plans are underway to explore the expansion of repacking centers along the eastern seaboard, including the Bicol Region, Quezon, and all the way to Region II.
