The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has readied 45,000 family food packs (FFP) at its facility in Mandaue City in case Typhoon Mawar hits the Visayas area, a regional social welfare official said on Wednesday.

Shalaine Marie Lucero, DSWD-7 regional director, said half of the number of FFPs have been prepositioned in various local government units (LGU) in the Visayas.

“We have non-food items and water and our quick response team on standby,” Lucero said.

Meanwhile, LGUs in Cebu province are on alert status in anticipation of the typhoon which will be called “Betty” once it enters the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).

In Cebu City, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Harold Alcontin said they would not lift the “blue alert” status until the typhoon leaves the PAR.

The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council issued the alert status on Tuesday and started to effect it on Wednesday.

“Atong tanang resources are on stanby, ilabi na to’ng naa sa bukid diin possible mobundak ang ulan. Ato i-check ang mga heavy equipment in case mag-landslide aron ma-address ang issue sa accessibility (All our resources are on standby, especially those in the mountains where there is a possibility of rain. We will check the heavy equipment in case of a landslide to address the issue of accessibility),” Alcontin told reporters here.

With the issuance of the alert status, personnel assigned at the CDRRMO are expected not to take a leave of absence until the typhoon leaves the PAR or until a warning is lifted.

Mayor Michael Rama said he would rather have proactive measures put in place despite reports that the weather alert on “Betty” has been downgraded from Super Typhoon to a mere Typhoon category as it slightly weakened Wednesday morning.

Betty, international codename “Mawar,” is expected to enter PAR by Friday night or early Saturday morning, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

The weather bureau said Mawar was last monitored 2,170 kilometers east of the Visayas and packs a maximum sustained wind of up to 175 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 215 kph. (PNA)