In its continuing efforts to improve the Agency’s disaster and relief response, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian visited the Philippine Red Cross Operations Center in Mandaluyong City on Wednesday, February 15, 2023.

The purpose of the visit was to check the facilities and resources of the Operations Center of the Philippine Red Cross as well as their best practices in deploying immediate response and assistance to people in need, especially the disaster-affected families and individuals.

The Secretary explained that the goal of the visit is to get inputs from existing and notable command centers such as the Philippine Red Cross Operations Center and apply it as the Department is in the process of upgrading its command center.

As soon as he assumed office as the head of the DSWD, enhancing the command center, setting up logistics networks and additional warehouses for relief goods and family food packs in strategic locations, and bringing the private sector in are some of the major thrusts and priorities of Secretary Gatchalian to strengthen the disaster response mechanisms of the Department.

Joining the Secretary during the visit were Undersecretary for Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG), Atty. Marco M. Bautista; Assistant Secretary for DRMG, Dr. Diana Rose S. Cajipe; Disaster Response Management Bureau Director Michael Cristopher R. Mathay; and National Resource and Logistics Management Bureau Officer-in-Charge, Corazon L. Macaraeg. ###